Hogwarts - The New Generation
by SeteEntediados
Summary: Six Hogwarts students are involved in a prophecy about the emergence of a new lord of darkness. Meanwhile, students like Santana Lopez, Rachel Berry, Quinn Fabray, Al and Lily Potter seek to survive school and teenage problems.
1. Year 1

"They also know about the prophecy."

Neville Longbottom entered the Blacks' former apartment, where Dumbledore's Army base operates. It was there that Harry and Ginny Potter, Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger, George Weasley, Luna Scamander, Lee Jordan, Padma Patil and Susan Bones met. That is to say, the most active dome of the old rebels of the resistance to Voldemort. The group was meeting as an emergency to discuss developments in the wizarding world. The purist movements resurfaced after rumours that a new dark lord would arise to command the wizards in the so-called war of wars.

But the prophecy in question said that, like the new lord, his opponent would also arise: the one who would command the resistance. According to the message: light and darkness were destined to face in a duel in which one would dominate the other. The world would then know centuries of peace or darkness according to the victor. Who could be, wasn't revealed in the prophecy, but there were other smaller ones that gave clues on the identity of these great opponent's wizards. It was known, for example, that the two would be the same age, would celebrate birthday in the same date, and would be destined to grow up in the house of the brave ones.

"They know who is it?" Susan Bones, the only one who belonged to Huffepluff at the summit and a portion specialist, was analysing the list of students joining Hogwarts that year.

"No. But they know what we know", Neville confided. "Draco said the other side has plans for the potential candidates."

"Two of the home of the brave ones born in the first lunar fall cycle of the 10th anniversary of the fall of the unnamable are destined to duel. One on the side of darkness and another on the side of light. The survivor will be the new ruler, and its heirs will perpetuate its legacy." Hermione read the prophecy again and re-examined the list of new students. "There are seven students born at the prophesied time."

"But you can't know beforehand who will be drawn to Gryffindor." George lamented. "I know it's selfish, but I'm glad my twins are out of it. I would hate if that weight could fall on their shoulders."

"Actually, there's a way we can fool the other side. We can leave them confused and buy some time." Luna stared at her companions with pale blue eyes. "We need to make sure the sorting hat doesn't select any of these students for Gryffindor."

"Are you suggesting we manipulate the prophecy?" Hermione gaped.

"Prophecies end up happening one way or another." Luna shrugged. "Harry might not be the original boy of prophecy, but you-know-who manipulated events to make him his equal making he being a horcrux. Maybe we can't avoid war, but we can create the conditions to gain advantages. To prepare our champion."

"How can this be?" Hermione was disbelieving.

"Let's just talk to him! With the hat!" Luna continued indifferent through the unbelieving looks of others.

...

The newcomers entered for the first time in the huge Hogwarts' hall. Many were startled to watch the number of students on the four tables in the four houses. Many of the teachers seemed intimidating, even the head mistress Minerva McGonagall, no matter how welcoming her speech was. The sorting hat began to speak, in a speech that brought something new every year. Then one, the first-year students were sitting on the bench and they were chosen. Among them, Lily Luna Potter, who finally joined her older brothers and cousins in Gryffindor. She grinned and sat between Al Potter and Rose Granger-Wearsley. Lily only regretted that she would spend a year without having Hugo around: they were both nails and flesh.

"This year is going to be legendary!" Rose smiled at her cousin. "I'll be able to teach you everything you need to know about Hogwarts."

Lily smiled, but she really wanted to roll her eyes. All she wanted to know was when she could get in the squad for the Quidditch team. She dreamed of being a professional player in the same position as her mother. Lily grew up listening to stories of how Harry was a fantastic seeker, who could also be a professional if he hadn't chosen to become an Auror. But she found the position incredibly annoying and preferred to score goals, just like her mother. The only problem was that first-year students rarely got positions in the teams: Harry Potter himself was the last student to be able to join a team in his first year. All Lily wanted was to be an exception just like her father.

...

After the selection, Neville and Minerva, who also knew the plan, transported the sorting hat to the safe in which it was kept next to other valuable Hogwarts' magical objects. Quinn Fabray, Santana Lopez, Samuel Evans, Finn Hudson, Sonny Beaver, Miranda Larson and Michael Chang were among the students who were born during the time of the prophecy.

"Who should be a Gryffindor?" Minerva asked the hat.

"Everyone except Quinn Fabray. As you asked, I directed everybody to their second best option."

Minerva checked the list.

"Lopez was relocated to Slytherin, while Evans and Hudson went to Hufflepuff, all others went to Ravenclaw."

"I think we have a good sense of who is the next you-know-who might be." Neville joked. "What shall we do, Minerva?"

"We watch them close for now, Neville. And we have to be very careful about the hasty conclusions."

"For Merlin, no one good has left Slytherin for years!"

"Draco isn't on our side?" Minerva pondered.

"Nobody trusts Malfoy entirely!"

"Just as no one but Dumbledore trusted in Severus. Don't you remember, Neville?"

"Professor Snape was different."

"Why?"

"He was smart and protected Harry because he loved Harry's mother. Draco loves nobody on our side, Minerva. There is no reason for him to be faithful."

"Time will tell."

...

Santana Lopez went to Slytherin's female dormitory for the students of the first and second years. The place was very well organized, clean and ample, with a huge stained glass window with the house symbol. The space was divided into a series of small separate rooms with partitions. Each "room" had two beds and two small closets.

Santana hadn't made friends with anyone in the house, but she knew and had already spoken to some girls who were selected for Slytherin. One of them was Priscila Lestrange, whose father was a healer and worked alongside Juan Lopez in St. Mungo's. Despite the parents' proximity, the girls didn't consider themselves friends. Santana thought Priscilla was arrogant, too proud because of her family's long line of pure bloodhounds. The Lopez were also traditional and came from a long line of purebloods. But they were migrant wizards. That is to say: it didn't matter the lineage because they were nothing more than foreigners in the eyes of some conservative wizards. Not even the fact that Santana was British second generation of her family was relevant.

"If you want, you can share a room with me." Santana looked at the blond girl who spoke to her. "My name is Quinn Fabray, by the way." She reached out to greet the girl who looked completely out of place.

"Santana Lopez."

"You don't look very comfortable here," Quinn said as she packed her things into the bed on the right side.

"It's just that my best friend went to another house. We've made a lot of plans and now... we've been separated."

"Who's your friend?"

"Brittany Pierce. She's a Ravenclaw now."

"Ravenclaw? Home to all the weirdos, as I see it." One of the girls step into the conversation. "It is very clear who is the winner and who is the loser. You shouldn't worry about that, Lopez. If you are here, it's because you are destined for greatness."

Santana stared at the girl with brown hair and affected gestures. That was Sugar Motta, who came from a wealthy Irish family. They knew each other from society's parties that Santana's stepmother dragged her family from time to time. Sugar was a sullen, needy girl who thought she could buy friends.

"Maybe," Santana replied softly as she settled her things.

"Don't pay attention on Motta. She doesn't have much brain." Quinn smiled.

"That's what it sounds like." Santana put the suitcase on the side of her bedroom and inspected the closet that seemed too small.

"Sixth and seventh grade girls do extension spells," Quinn commented. "But you have to pay five galleons."

"Maybe we can do this without paying."

"It's an advanced spell."

"But that's taught, right?"

"Yes, but with a lot of restrictions. Beginners like us would not be able to. "

"Give me until the end of this year. At most, until the beginning of our second year." Santana gave a small smile. "You can pay me with official Tutshill stuff."

"Tutshill?" Quinn raised an eyebrow.

"Doesn't your father own half of Tutshill city, including the Tornadoes? Or does Ginny Potter's column in the Daily Prophet published fake news?"

"That would be an exaggeration."

"Her father owns the Tutshill Tornados." Sugar Motta stepped into the conversation once more.

"My father is the president of the team, not the owner." Quinn rolled her eyes. "Lopez... interesting... Sorry but I don't remember seeing you before. Are you the first in your family to study at Hogwarts?"

"No, my father studied here. He was a Ravenclaw. "

"And your mother?"

Santana sighed and looked away.

"My mother didn't come to Hogwarts. She is American."

"Oh, did she go to Ilvermorny? I've heard a lot about this school."

"No..." Santana continued to stare at the floor. "She didn't go to any of those big schools."

"Because Santana is half-blood!" Priscilla Lestrange, in the next room, put an evil smile on her face. "Her mother is a Muggle, and she's the daughter of divorced parents. My father works with her father at the hospital and told me everything. He told me to be nice with her, but I don't know."

Santana saw some girls start laughing and it made her blood boil. She could conjure up the little shock that came from the tip of her ebony and dragon wand. Or even several other little magics she'd learned on her own as she prepared to join Hogwarts. She knew she was way better than all those girls stuck together, but she preferred to take a deep breath and swallow her pride. Santana didn't want to make enemies on the first day, especially since she knew she would have to live with those girls for the next seven years. She was smart enough to first do field reconnaissance.

She saw that Quinn was the only one who wasn't laughing. She even blinked her eyes and nodded, as if silently calling the other idiot girls. Santana gave a small smile and nodded at the likely new friend. Quinn got the message

"Say one thing, Lopez. By chance do you support Tutshill Tornados?"

"I don't cheer the Tornados. I'm a proud!"

"Portree?" Quinn was surprised. "So why would you want Tornados' sports equipment?"

"Quidditch is Quidditch!"

"You like to play?"

Santana's smile widened.

...

Finn Hudson looked at the bed he would occupy in Hufflepuff's men's dormitory. At age 11, he was already a big kid, the biggest of the newbies, but those bunk beds in the dormitory didn't contemplate someone so tall for his age. He thought he would have to learn a spell to expand his bed by the end of the year. Finn wasn't entirely happy with the selection. He thought he should go to Gryffindor, like his father. The Hufflepuffs were the losers' house. If you weren't brave enough, smart enough or powerful enough, that was your place: the foci of failures.

"How did that happen?" Finn whispered to himself.

"It's not that bad." Samuel Evans occupy the next bed. "The dormitory looks nothing like a cold, wet hole I had imagined. It's cosy here."

"It's not a Gryffindor!" Finn was still convinced that this wasn't his place.

"Who's calling the Potters' and Weasleys' club?" Samuel tried to list the good things. "I think it's cool that we stayed in the same house. You and I will be the kings of Quidditch here."

"I can't believe Mike is a Ravenclaw!" Finn sat on his bed and began to relax with the light conversation with his old friend.

"Nobody imagined that a guy who eats explosive ear wax balls went to the smart house?"

"That's right... who would have imagined?"

...

After a few weeks of classes, some groups of friends were established among the first-years. Lily Potter had the support of her brothers and cousins at Hogwarts, but she soon managed to make her own circle of friends. She was always with Melissa Brown, a black girl with a great sense of loyalty. Finn and Samuel already had a group formed before Hogwarts that not only maintained but also grew. In addition to Mike Chang, they friends became friends with Noah Puckerman. No one had understood how the boy who wore Mohawk had been selected for Hufflepuff instead of Slytherin. Another established group was formed by Quinn Fabray, Santana Lopez and Brittany Pierce. The trio occasionally received the company of Sugar Motta, but in essence, these three were inseparable.

The Ravenclaws looked very close, especially Mike Chang, Miranda Larson and Sonny Beaver. There was in them the impetuosity that connected them, besides all twisting by the same team of Quidditch: all were Montrose Magpies. Mike and Sonny dreamed of playing and couldn't wait to take part in the selections for the vacant positions. Miranda, unlike the boys, loved the game, but as a fan, especially after the changes in the rules that made the matches shorter and more dynamic.

Neville Longbottom was the principal agent of the DA assigned to closely observe the six students. As a teacher, he tended to be more sympathetic to Finn Hudson because he was fumbled, as he was at that age, and was the student most interested in the discipline he taught. But the professor couldn't be fooled. There were six major students on his radar. One would be the saviour, the other the devil. What qualifies the messiah and the angel of death? It was too early to know.

In the first few weeks, Santana proved to be the most skilled among the six, but she still had no indication of her interest in power. It doesn't mean that she was humble. On the contrary, there was a childish cynicism about her. Finn, on the other hand, wanted to be admired. Samuel was a vain boy, but he seemed always to be in the shadow of his fellow Hufflepuff friend. Mike had pride as the main capital sin. Sonny was competitive and Miranda was altruistic and eccentric. In a way, she was very reminiscent of Luna's way.

Neville could see this from afar. What signs should be taken into account and which aspects should be ignored and which should be taken into account? Neville knew he was in a race there. The faster you identify the players, the more efficient the Armada action would be. As he made notes in his diary, the professor took a sip of his tea, leaned back in the comfortable chair, and made some bets.

...

The first incident occurred in the second month of classes, when temperatures began to fall and winter announced its arrival. After flying classes, it was customary to make extra-class activity among students in the first year to practice Quidditch and some other wizard sports. Quidditch had undergone many modifications in the last decade to make it more dynamic and competitive, as well as being more attractive to witch radio and TV broadcasts (an adaptation of Muggle television but which only worked well on local broadcasts because wizards couldn't magically use satellite technology). Now the sport was practiced in up to four times of 55 minutes each, with five minutes interval between them for water and technical guidelines. Each goal was still worth 10 points, and the capture of the golden apple, 150 points. If the seeker couldn't get the golden snitch, the match ended in time.

There was only one significant difference between the official materials of the amateurs, taking away the power of the brooms: the amateur bludgers were made of solid wood with a three-centimeter iron core and outer layer of leather. It was the amateur stuff the first-graders played.

Santana and Quinn went to the arena and met Brittany, who was with Mike, Larson, Sonny and Miranda. Lily Potter was also there along with the almost inseparable Melissa Brown, such as Finn Hudson and Samuel Evans.

"Let's form two teams." Professor Pottus Vianna took the lead. "Who wants to be the seeker?" Three people raised their hands, but there were only enough of them to form two full teams. Four people would be left out. Watching the scenery, he continued. "Let's do this: the candidates in each position stay together." He indicated the positions. "Here the chasers. Here the beaters and here the keepers." He was pleased to see that only two people ran as keepers. "Well... the keepers will choose their teams."

Lily smiled and stayed in the group of chasers, who also had Santana Lopez, Brittany Pierce and Mike Chang. One of the candidate goalkeepers was Finn Hudson and the other, George Patton, a Slytherin. Each would choose alternately, but diversity of homes only existed in one of the teams.

In Patton's team were Santana Lopez, Brittany Pierce and Netunus Black as chasers. Quinn Fabray as a seeker. And the brothers Kanan and Ezra Goyle as beaters. Only Brittany wasn't a Slytherin in that team. She was only indicated because Santana practically ordered Patton.

In the other team, besides Finn, were chosen Lily Potter, Samuel Evans and Mike Chang as chasers. And also Tiya McGlynn (Gryffindor) as seeker, Sonny Beaver and Bail Onyo (Gryffindor) as beaters. The remaining students stayed in the bench.

Professor Pottus explained the rules to the beginners released to play and dropped the balls. The game started terribly because of the inexperience of the students. Many thought they understood Quidditch just by following the championship or playing with brothers and friends in the backyard of their homes, but the fact was that playing full and with the proper equipment in a field of official dimensions was very different. Making passes in mid-flight was much more complex. Santana let the quaffle fall on her first attempt. Finn took a goal on the first weak shot, almost unintentionally, made by Brittany. The only one who seemed to know exactly what to do on the pitch was Lily. She made five straight goals in almost individual moves.

Santana was annoyed when the opposing team dilated the score to 80 to 10 in less than 20 minutes. She looked at Quinn, who was just circling the field, or watching the (terrible) game or trying to visualize the golden snitch. Santana made an individual move, completely ignoring the requests of the companions to pass the quaffle. Lily tried to block her, but she took an improbable dribble, with Santana spinning over her to get clear of the mark and scoring. Santana understood that if she made more individual plays, she would have more success. And so she did. With every goal Santana scored, more ostensibly she celebrated and more irritated the opposing team got. Content with how the game was proceeding, Santana was able to change the scoreboard: 90 x 80.

In the next attack, the inexperienced Samuel was hit by a bludger and needed to be replaced. Brittany was able to recapture the quaffle after an inaccurate Mike pass and passed it to Santana, who again scored and celebrated ostensibly. 90 x 90. Lily, annoyed, made a simple move with Mike that ended up scoring. To extravasate, Lily celebrated ostensibly near Santana, who became irritated. Quaffle in the Netunus hands. He tries to pass it to Brittany, but Lily intercepts. She flies towards the opposing rings knowing that Patton was a weak keeper and that the chances of score were great. All of a sudden, she got an illegal block from Santana. The quaffle slipped away and a strong fight began. In the meantime, Quinn picks up a slower golden snitch. End game!

"Be lucky next time, loser!" Santana teased Lily before celebrating with Quinn and Brittany.

"Don't go thinking that it means anything or that you have talent, Lopez. This was just a game for beginners. Going into the teams is another story."

"Speak as if you've had a place in your house team, Potter." Santana turned to Quinn and Brittany, deliberately ignoring the other girl. "But that's no surprise, considering the Potters and the Weasleys think they own the Gryffindor house."

"You're ridiculous!" Lily snarled and turned her back to the trio, walking toward Melissa, Finn, Mike, and Sonny.

Santana, Quinn and Brittany laughed at Lily's attitude and ignored everyone else. While the students left the field, they didn't even notice that the game had a professor in the audience. Neville watched closely the students' behaviour and continued to ponder.

...

The trio formed by Santana, Quinn and Brittany was hellish. In something from their 11 to 12 years old, the girls were discovering not only their abilities, but also the changes in their body, personalities and vanities. Brittany was a challenging mind that thought in a mathematical way. She needed constant help from colleagues to understand what was written in the books, but she had an extraordinary instinct for dosages. There was no better student in arithmancy throughout Hogwarts. Quinn was a dedicated student in all subjects, but far from being considered extraordinary in any of them. Santana was lazy for most subjects except defence against the dark arts and spells, in which she demonstrated extraordinary talent.

All three were vain in different ways. Santana discovered her own sensuality and showed it with concern to have impeccable hair, lipstick on lips, nails very well painted. She ended up influencing the other two, though Quinn didn't care much for props. Brittany, when she wasn't in school uniform, dressed exceptionally well, always in tune with the best of the muggle young fashion, considering she was a muggle-born herself.

To their colleagues' despair, the girls weren't afraid to impose themselves. They were getting ready with other students in their first and second years, even though they didn't dare to play with their elders. Thanks to the fabled Quidditch game between first-years, the trio's preferred victims were Lily Potter and Melissa Brown. The pair of friends became the victim of small pranks specially articulated by Santana. As much as the Gryffindors tried to fight back, that trio could get away with it unusually, thanks to the unique combination of their talents.

One day, when spring was at its peak and already showing signs that summer would soon arrive, and with it the holidays, Santana planned the mother of the pranks against the rival Gryffindors, especially against Lily. Quinn and she slipped out of the dormitory at dawn and set up firecrackers along the Gryffindors' table. They made a point of being one of the first students to go to breakfast and waited for their favourite victim. As Lily sat at the table with Melissa and her brothers and cousins, Santana fired the trigger. The bombs exploded in perfect harmony, spreading food, juice, cutlery and crockery to everything on the side. The shouting was general. Slytherin's table sank in laughter, but the students in the other houses were perplexed. What Santana and Quinn didn't calculate well was that students could actually get hurt with the little shards. Lily got dirty with food, but Rose Granger-Weasley suffered a small cut on her forehead, as did a few other students.

Minerva, along with other professor and older students, including prefects, rushed to help the Gryffindors. Finn Hudson and Lily Potter had no doubts about the author of the disastrous trot and ran up to Quinn and Santana.

"Locomotor mortis!" Finn pronounced against Santana, but the spell was so weak that the girl had no problem blocking him. And what was the point of that spell if she didn't want to run away?

"Evanesco!" It was Lily's turn to say it. The spell was stronger, yet Santana was skilled enough to nullify it and thus protect Quinn.

"Expelliamus!" Santana snapped, then disarmed Lily. Which was a general surprise because the spell wasn't taught for first-years and, so far as was known, Santana wasn't part of the mourning club.

"Expelliamus!" It was James Potter's turn to chant. He and the group that formed the Gryffindor Quidditch team approached and disarmed all young students involved in the fray.

Instead of appeasing, the group took advantage of the greater experience to keep Lily out of trouble. James grabbed Santana by the collar of her uniform shirt.

"Did you do that?" He asked firmly. "Answer Lopez, before things get worse on your side."

"What if it was me?"

"So you're worse than you could imagine. Don't you see that your prank hurt people? You're an inconsequential moron."

"James..." The boy heard Professor Neville's steady voice. "Leave Lopez. If there's anyone who's going to solve this problem, it's us, the professors."

James let go of Santana, whose reaction was to sort the clothes.

"Lopez, Fabray, Malfoy, Goyle, Flint and Nott. Follow me, please." He summoned all the Slytherin students who used to be involved in trotting and confusing. Not to be in the wrong, Neville thought of summoning later students from other homes also known for not being easy and practicing bullying, as was the case of Noah Puckerman.

"You don't have to summon all these people, Professor." Santana said earnestly, as she had never been before. "I did all this."

Quinn made a point of manifesting, after all, the idea was basically hers, but Santana gestured for her to be quiet. Neville glared at the student and pointed out the hall toward the principal's office. The student walked with heavy feet. Seeing that the trot really hurt people took away all the funny. She was taken to the head mistress's office and waited with Professor Neville until Minerva arrived.

Neville and Minerva didn't expel Santana because they needed to have the girl under their noses. In compensation, she was in detention every day for the rest of the school year. Domestic elves celebrated extra help in cleaning services.

...

"Lopez is bad!" Neville said with conviction during the meeting with members of Dumbledore's Army. "I'm sure she's the future Lord of Darkness."

"All we do know is that she likes to do pranks," Harry mused.

"No wonder the hat put her on Slytherin!" Neville continued. "It was the closest option. Well, I say the following, Harry, she really became one of them."

"Are you sure? My father, Sirius Black and Professor Lupin were prankers. They practiced bullying against Snape. This is what led Snape to practice dark arts. It's not a side that I'm proud of my father, but it shows one point: it doesn't mean that Lopez is a bad person. Young people do stupid things all the time."

"The cases are not always the same, Harry," Hermione mused. "Sometimes it's someone just plain bad."

"I know Mione... I'm aware that Lopez's last prank hurt Rose, though it was nothing serious. But think from another angle: someone totally bad wouldn't take responsibility: it would hide and run. It would make someone else take the blame. I fear the wolf in sheepskin much more. It's not because others haven't done anything considered suspicious that we should automatically presume they are the good guys. We must not forget that all are essentially Gryffindors. The guilt that they aren't in the uniform of our house is entirely ours."

"What's your theory then, Harry?" Neville asked.

"That a future motivation, an event that hasn't yet happened, is what can make one become our champion and the other, the new leader of darkness."

"What kind of event?" Neville insisted.

"I have not the faintest idea, my friend. All we can do is stay vigilant and protect all of them."


	2. Year 2

Rachel read the invitation letter from Hogwarts once again, to the utter disgust of Shelby Corcoran. Santana rolled her eyes and nodded at her younger sister's delight. They were in the modest apartment in Queens, New York. A typically muggle, comfortable property with a reasonable neighbourhood. Rachel Corcoran-Berry, who would turn 11 in December of that year, would walk to the school, which was on the next block. Shelby would take the subway and work as a professor at the Hunter College's theater course, and the coach of the college choir community. That was when she didn't take extra work as a vocal coach. It was a busy life, forcing Rachel to learn to be alone indoors early on.

"I'm a witch!" Rachel said proudly. "I knew that my magnificent voice was the result of pure magic! Did you see Santana? I was accepted into two schools! I can even choose."

Santana put a finger inside her open mouth and pretended she was vomiting. Shelby rolled her eyes for the umpteenth time. The truth was, the girls' mother was upset about the situation. She only had the older daughter's company for a few weeks a year. Now the younger one would also leave the nest, no matter what school she chose: both Hogwarts and Ilvermorny were boarding schools. Shelby had other plans for the youngest daughter, but everything was changed as Rachel began to manifest powers that Shelby thought she would be free. She secretly blamed Juan: that seductive idiot English wizard who must have passed something to her when they slept together. Or maybe it was a consequence of Santana's gestation. The fact is that Shelby didn't understand the logic of the wizarding world, which frightened her immensely.

"How could be?" Shelby turned to the firstborn. "How can she be like you if neither I nor Rachel's father have... magic?"

"Sometimes it happens." Santana pretended not to mind. "Many important wizards and witches were born Muggles, like Rachel. Hermione Granger was born Muggle. My friend Brittany Pierce too."

"Is your friend Brittany one of the great wizards?" Rachel asked innocently.

"No, but she could be one day."

"Still, I don't understand." Shelby insisted on her private conflict. "Did something happen while I had contact with your world? Or when I was waiting you?"

Santana heard her mother's questions and sighed. It was no secret that Shelby detested the wizarding world. She knew her parents' story very well. It was once the American who was venturing into London. One day, she bumped into a charming young man in fancy clothes, but that's okay, since that was modern London full of hipsters. They are immediately attracted to each other and decide to go out together. After their first fuck, Juan tells the truth to the theater student. That he was a medical student different from what she imagined. Thus, the magical world is revealed to muggle American girl.

At first, Shelby is dazzled. But after some weeks, she is frightened how that hidden side could be cruel and violent in a way she couldn't understand. She ends the relationship. A few weeks after the breakup, days before Shelby returned to the United States, they meet again. Before Juan had the chance to cast a obliviate spell, Shelby reveals that she was pregnant. She was desperate because she was only 19 years old and had a life to come: a career ahead. She said she could never raise the child and tell Juan she would terminate it.

Juan then proposes to take care of the child as soon as it is born. So Shelby could be free to have the life she wanted, and still have the advantage of knowing she could see her daughter whenever she could and want. Shelby agreed to carry on the pregnancy and ends the gestation in London. In the month following the birth of Santana Marie Lopez (mother and daughter shared the middle name), she delivers her daughter definitively to Juan and returns to the United States with a broken heart.

In New York, after a night of drunkenness, Shelby had unprotected sex with an old friend, and becomes pregnant again. This time, she decides not to give up the child because she no longer wants the pain of abandoning a child. Thus, she takes care of Rachel Corcoran-Berry in a life full of difficulties, but rewarding. Eventually, she and Juan make a deal that allows the firstborn to live with her mother and little sister for a few weeks a year in New York.

Shelby wasn't surprised when Santana told her she was a witch. The girl proved to be different from other children early on. At age six, she could do extraordinary things, such as making a little flower float a few inches above the palm of her hand. Santana was definitely her father's daughter. But when Rachel said she was a witch for the first time as soon as she turned 10, Shelby was a thump. When Rachel was invited to join witchcraft schools, it was even worse.

"Rachel, honey, why don't you go to your regular school?" Shelby asked the younger girl still hoping she would choose to stay in New York.

"It would be a disaster," Santana said almost curtly. "If Rachel doesn't learn to use the magic inside her, accidents can happen. The energy of a wizard is different from the energy of the muggles. It needs to be released and shaped. Otherwise, in the worst case, it can create an obscure. Everybody knows it!"

"Obscure?" Rachel was curious.

"It is as if it were a being of dark energy that grows within you. It was commonplace to formerly happen in muggle-born children. Especially when the parents were very religious, and these children were brutally suppressed. Because of this, the magic trapped inside them became increasingly treacherous, until there came a point where they literally exploded and died."

"Oh... I don't want to die like this!" Rachel grimaced.

"There has been no news of obscurity for decades." Santana shrugged.

"That's just a story to scare you," Shelby grunted.

"You wish... You can ask that for any wizard. You can call my dad and ask if you want." Santana continued laconically.

Fixed phones were problematic. Cell phones were useless because magical energy disrupted the signal. Which meant that internet was equally useless within neighbourhoods or wizard cities. But there were ways. Whenever Juan needed to speak to Shelby, and vice versa, he would send a message to a small department of Muggle-wizard communication attached to the Ministry of Magic (but that worked out of it for obvious reasons). The department was run by a Squib and a few muggles married to wizards. Shelby used the e-mail. Juan, the traditional ways of communication of wizards. The important thing was that they were both able to communicate and resolve issues about Santana.

"I wish Rachel wasn't a witch, or that she decided to go to Ilvermorny. So I wouldn't have to take care of her."

"But Hogwarts is the best school in the world!" Rachel complained. "You said it yourself."

"You're American... you should go to an American school."

"But I wanted to be with you. It would be the perfect opportunity for us to get to know each other better, since we see each other so little!"

"Don't count on it, Nan."

"Are you saying you wouldn't take care of your sister?" Shelby frowned.

"Hogwarts is no place for weak ones."

...

"So you're a Ravenclaw?" Rachel asked Brittany shortly after the group occupied one of the express train cabins for Hogwarts.

"If I don't change house... I think I am." Brittany responded with some indifference to the chatty girl who was with her best friend.

"Is it possible to change house?" Rachel asked Santana.

"Not that I know of," she replied without even looking at her sister.

Meanwhile, Quinn watched the interaction between the sisters with some astonishment. When she received the owl with a letter from Santana saying that that year she would take a gnome in tow, Quinn didn't imagine that her friend referred to her sister. She didn't even know Santana had one. But when she saw the girl, slender and thin, she understood at once why Santana called her a gnome, a dwarf, an elf, and every creature less than half a meter tall.

"How are you both friends? I thought you were just making friends with people in your house!" Rachel insisted on chattering.

"Who said that?" Quinn asked.

"Santana said there were disputes between the houses and everything else. So I thought... "

"As always, shut up, you thought wrong! The point is, the Gryffindors are arrogant and believe they are heroes. The Hufflepuffs are moralistic losers. That's why it's hard for us to relate to them. Ravenclaws, like Brittany, are weird nerds, but at least they're cooler than the others. So do the math."

"But I heard Slytherin is the home of the dark wizards..." Rachel frowned.

"I won't deny that many dark wizards were Slytherin... on the other hand, other great wizards were also from there. Merlin, in my opinion, was the greatest wizard in history, and he was a Slytherin." Quinn continued to be more patient with Rachel than Santana.

"Merlin really existed?" Rachel's eyes widened and Santana nodded.

"See this witch on my chocolate bar? Severus Snape was a Slytherin." Santana completed. "And he was one of the greatest heroes in the second wizarding war against Voldemort."

"Do not say his name!" Brittany warned and Santana rolled her eyes.

"That's fresh. The guy got stung when he faced the arrogant redhead's father in the second wizarding war."

"Yeah, but they say they have a prophecy of you-know-who would reincarnate and try to dominate the wizarding world again!" Brittany speculated.

"That doesn't exist! You only live once!" Santana raged.

"How can you be sure?" Brittany questioned. "You-know-who came back to life!"

"Because of the horcruxes," Santana countered. "That's not the same as reincarnation."

"What are horcruxes?" Rachel was curious.

"It's complicated... very complicated!" Quinn said in a weak smile.

"It's pure evil dark magic complicated, Rachel." Santana said. "The question is, do you know someone who is sure to reincarnate and still show you proof that this has happened?" Santana folded her arms.

"No..." Brittany admitted.

"That's my point!"

"There are many things that neither witches nor muggles have ever seen, but that doesn't mean they don't exist."

"I'd rather worry about what I see, Britt Britt. That's enough work already."

Quinn followed the discussion in silence, which wasn't to say she was not interested. In fact, that made her intrigued. Days ago, she had heard a conversation between his father and Lakatos Black about a prophecy about a new dark lord and a new muggle-defending warrior they were destined to face. Russell Fabray believed that the prophecy was about Voldemort. Quinn had shivers just thinking about it. She loved freedom too much, because it was something she didn't enjoy within her own home. She knew that living under the tyranny of a dark lord would mean a life of oppression in and out of the house. She could even be a Slytherin, but she could never accept living under such conditions.

...

The characters were all present in the main hall. Santana and Quinn stood side by side on the Slytherin table, as usual, while Brittany chatted excitedly with fellow Ravenclaws. The pair had their backs to Brittany and were almost face to face with the Gryffindor group they most detested: Potter and Weasley families. Lily was talking to her best friend and her cousins. They speculated on which house the newest member of the family, Hugo Weasley, would be placed. Rose, Hugo's sister, was the only one who didn't bet on Gryffindor.

"How not?" Lily questioned her cousin, who was going to her third year.

"I have a strong intuition."

"Hugo is one of ours, Rose." James Potter nudged his cousin. "Don't worry."

Lily glanced at the Slytherin table as Santana glanced toward her. Then she grunted loudly.

"It would be better if that girl had been kicked out." Lily said and made the others look toward the table at the rival house.

"I have heard that Lopez has already started the under warning. The slightest slip and she will be detained for the rest of the year." Rose sounded irritated. She still hadn't forgiven the last prank taken by Santana the previous year. She had a small, light scar on her forehead to remind her. It was almost imperceptible to someone else, but she could see it very well. "I don't think she's going to be the same hell being as last year. But if she messes with us, she'll regret. Especially if she gets into Quidditch this year."

"It seems she can't because of the punishment," James said.

"Her half-sister came to Hogwarts this year," Melissa Brown told the group. "They say she's an American muggle-born."

"How?" Lily was curious.

"Lopez is a half-blood. Her mother is an American Muggle... her sister is from her mother's side. Didn't you know?"

"Oh." Lily looked once more toward the rival table, but Santana was looking sideways at something talking to Sugar Motta. "It's going to be hard to tolerate another Lopez."

"Surely the girl isn't a Lopez!" Al Potter said with his usual blasé air. "Her last name isn't the same."

The head mistress began to make the opening speech and introduce the teachers. Minerva said that the school would punish more severely and even expel students who, in some way, put the lives of colleagues at risk as a result of trotting and fighting. The entire school glanced toward Santana, who, not wanting to be below, put a fake, cynical smile on her lips and sent little ones and kisses in all directions. She sent a particularly blown kiss to Lily Potter, chuckling among the Slytherins and grunting among the Gryffindors.

The newcomers joined the hall. The hat made the annual speech and, one by one, the new students were called. Gryffindor received a black girl named Mercedes Jones and another with curly hair named Blaine Anderson. Hufflepuff received Finn Hudson's stepbrother, Kurt Hummel. Slytherin received, among others, an Asian girl named Tina Chang, Cho Chang's cousin, who had no relationship with Mike Chang. Hugo Granger-Weasley, to the amazement of many people, was a new Hufflepuff: he was the first of the family in six generations except a Gryffindor.

As for Rachel?

Slytherin.

Santana wasn't surprised. As much as she lived with Rachel only a few weeks a year, the time was enough to understand that the girl was Slytherin in full. The problem was that she wasn't sure how to be a full-time sister. Santana didn't know how to act. This was something really new.

...

Rachel was still getting used to the wizarding world. Even though she knew all along that she had a witch sister, Shelby never allowed Rachel to have contact with this world. And now that she belonged to it, she couldn't stop thinking about how frighteningly different it was from the normalcy she was accustomed to. She saw second-year girls, and even her sister, unpacking clothes and shoes into tiny wardrobes with just by the touch of wands.

"How does all this fit into these gates?" Rachel was intrigued.

"Extension spell, baby." Sugar invited Rachel to peer inside the door and what she saw made her gape. Inside the hatch was a wardrobe much larger than it looked outside.

"Wow!" Rachel's eyes widened. "Can I have one of these?"

"It costs 10 galleons," Sugar scoffed. "There's a seventh-year-old girl doing the job."

"Ten galleons?"

"It's almost $80, Rachel," Santana explained.

"Oh... It's a lot of money. Can't you do it?"

"It's an advanced spell. We don't learn it until the sixth year."

Rachel looked at the room, if that could be called a room, where Santana and Quinn organized their things. They were organizing very naturally, and that hurt Rachel in a way. She imagined she would have her sister all the time by her side.

"Oh... San? I thought you'd stay with me."

"I'm sorry, but I share a room with Fabray from day one."

Rachel looked at the other two new girls, including Tina Chang, but they turned their back on her. She sighed and went into the cabin closest to the bathroom, which nobody wanted. Rachel made her own bed and couldn't close her eyes and sleep all night.

...

Rachel knew from the moment she was the last person to tame a broom, that she wouldn't fly around, much less was willing to learn such a horrible sport that was the most popular. She wasn't the best at dealing with plants, let alone with magical creatures, but she had a born talent for portions and transfiguration, so much so that she thought of becoming an Animagus in the future. But what she liked most was that she could take the optional muggle music class that happened once a week in the afternoon.

When she entered the room, she was impressed that this was the most diverse class. It had 13 students from all three homes (she took little time to realize she was the only Slytherin there). The teacher was William Schuester, ridiculed by many students, especially the Slytherins, for being the only squib throughout Hogwarts. The layout of the room was informal, with only chairs, no wallets, arranged in three rows side by side. Rachel sat on the first side next to Hugo Granger-Weasley. Also in this class were Mercedes Jones, Blaine Anderson, Finn Hudson, Miranda Larson and Kurt Hummel.

Schuester came in excited, welcomed the old and new students. He said that the lesson program was very flexible, but that he liked to divide the class into two stages: the first of theoretical discussion and appreciation (which was basically telling the story of the artist or the musical genre), and the second part was artistic expression, in which students were invited to practice some instruments, provided they had prior knowledge, and to sing.

Sing!

This was the real magic word for Rachel. She smiled.

...

Santana finished cleaning the room that housed the small museum of magical objects and belongings of great magicians who studied at Hogwarts. She was doomed to stay for at least another month dusting and scrubbing the floors of any Hogwarts hall. It was a pity she had been given and that she was alone, despite the fact that she had received help from Quinn at the time of the prank. She wiped the sweat from her face and leaned close to the old pensieve that belonged to Dumbledore. Santana wiped sweat from her face with the sleeve of her blouse and called Simons, the house-elf that was closest to her.

"Miss Santana called?" The elf appeared in the room.

"You can inspect, Nose."

The house-elf ran his finger through the glass, brackets, and checked the floor. Everything was clean. The being smiled and waved at the student.

"Very good, Miss Santana."

Without waiting for any complement, Santana took off her rubber gloves and tossed it into the bucket. She left the small museum without looking back. She didn't pay attention to who was driving around, and she just bumped into Lily and Rose on the way out. They're all in uniform for the Gryffindor Quidditch practice. Lily had joined the team as a reserve player, but Rose had been the team seeker for two years. It was a situation that made Santana jealous. She wanted to do apply for the Slytherin team, even if it was to get a position between the reserves. She knew she was better than some of the boys on the team, but her punishment prevented her.

"I'm sorry... oh, it's you!" Lily looked disgusted.

"Go straight, Potter."

"I will, Lopez. I need to play Quidditch, while you need to wash some more ground with the elves."

"Don't tease me."

"Or what? Are you going to blow up my table again and hurt more people? I'd love for you to do that. I'd love to see you get kicked out of this school."

"You, your family ... you find yourself the owners of Hogwarts. Beware of pride, Potter. Someone can give you a serious kick in the ass."

"Are you that person?"

"For Merlin, how I hate Daddy's little brats." Santana turned from Lily and Rose, who remained silent.

"Lopez!" Lily said loudly, making the girl stop, sigh sharply, and turn to him again. "I don't want to be your enemy and I don't give a damn about your attitude. But I will, in case you hurt someone else I like ... "

"You talk like I've seriously injured someone. It was not my intention to hurt, and the person who was most seriously injured was Clarence who had a band Aid on her eyebrow. So stop behaving as if I've taken someone's life! I already had my punishment, so don't be a jerk! Do something useful for yourself! Go suck a nail or whatever... just stop annoying me!"

Lily Potter was surprised when she noticed that there was a small audience witnessing the chat. Among them, Samuel Evans and Finn Hudson. The Gryffindor girl looked at the sympathetic Hufflepuffs and greeted them with a signal. Finn tapped the colleague's shoulder and smiled a little to Lily.

"Don't care about this girl. She's bad news."

But Lily wasn't comforted. She looked back and saw that Santana was already down the hall. There was something different about that girl that annoyed her deeply, and it was not just that Santana was a ferocious Slytherin.

...

The classes had started two months ago and Rachel hadn't yet made any friends. The only person she talked to with a little more quality was her own sister and Santana's friends. That was when they were in a good mood to let her get close. It wasn't enough.

Her classmates thought she was weird, bossy, terribly annoying.

"That's why you're a Slytherin!" Santana laughed. "You have an ego bigger than our whole house together!"

"You were certainly chosen for being mean!" Rachel countered with her sister, who didn't bother.

"I can live with that, dwarf!" Santana gave Rachel a quick push, which immediately received Brittany's affection.

"Don't call your sister names. I even like her."

"See?" Rachel stared at Santana in a provocative way. "Britt likes me."

"Sure, Rachy. You're so annoying that makes me laugh. I like laughing!"

This time it was Quinn and Santana who laughed. Rachel snorted and decided to leave the group. She took refuge in her favourite place: the music room. Annoyed and with tears in her eyes, she sat at the piano. She didn't know how to play, but she knew where the musical notes were. C, D, E, the flat notes (or sharp, depending on the symbol in the score). She began to play the notes and test the extent of her voice, just as she used to do with her mother. As a singing and acting coach, Shelby used to train with her daughter, who corresponded divinely to the exercises.

In addition to home workouts, Rachel used to take singing and dancing classes twice a week. She participated in the talent competitions of the muggle school she attended until she entered Hogwarts. Rachel won almost every competition in the sing category and had a collection of small trophies and medals that she was proud of. While she felt miserable, she sang.

Rachel began to sing loud and beautifully tuned, even with the tear running down her face.

She stopped when she heard a bump. Rachel looked toward the door and found Hugo: his face was almost as red as his hair.

"Sorry..." The boy became sheepish. "It's just that you were singing so beautiful that... sorry if I disturbed you... I'm already leaving."

"No! Please stay!"

"Can I stay?"

"Of course."

Hugo, still sheepish, approached the piano.

"That song you sang... I know it."

"Do you know muggle music? Of course ... you also are in Schuester class."

"Yeah... but I also hear some muggle music. My mother was born Muggle too, you know? And she taught me to play piano."

"I still have a hard time believing that the famous and all-powerful Hermione Granger is a mudblood like me."

"Who calls you mudblood?"

"Some girls from my house."

"Of course!" Hugo rolled his eyes. "You shouldn't care about them."

"But it hurts... and it hurts even more because nobody defends me. Not even my sister. "

"Lopez is a delicate topic at this school." Hugo smiled awkwardly.

"Your sister and your cousins hate her. I totally understand... I hate her in most of the time. Being Santana Lopez's sister seems to be a disease that keeps people away from me."

"Not really. But, hey, this song you were singing... what is it?"

"Cry Me A River."

"Is beautiful! Can you sing it again? "

Rachel nodded. She closed her eyes and began to sing softly.

 _Now you say you're lonely_

 _You cried the long night though_

 _Well, you can cry me a river_

 _Cry me a river_

 _I cried a river over you._

As Rachel sang, Hugo was trying to follow her. It took a stanza for him to find the correct notes of the song, which left Rachel startled. If she had the gift of singing, Hugo Granger-Weasley certainly had the gift of playing. In the end, they were astonished, as if they were twin souls who had met.

"Wow... that was good!" Hugo smiled shyly.

"I would say so." Rachel glanced shyly at the Hufflepuff boy. "You know, we might as well meet here, every once in a while, to sing and play. I could teach you a lot of songs and you could teach me to play some piano."

"It would be cool, but won't your sister care?"

"And what about your family? Don't they mind if you meet the devil's sister?"

"We can make it our secret. What do you think?"

Rachel smiled and nodded. She spit in her hand and held it out to her new friend, who was surprised by the gesture. He even got a little disgusted.

"In the United States, when we make a commitment, we spit in our hands and shake hands to seal the deal."

"Okay..." Even uncertain, Hugo repeated the gesture, sealing the new and unusual partnership.

...

Rachel didn't really have many options to spend Christmas. Either she went to the Lopez house or stayed alone at Hogwarts. Shelby was very busy after the choir at the college she was teaching was chosen to perform a Christmas song at a traditional charity event in New York. It was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, as the cream of the city's entrepreneurship, not to mention some Hollywood and Broadway artists and producers, was always present. Rachel needed no further explanation to understand that this was a unique opportunity in Shelby's career.

Since her mother couldn't give her attention, Rachel decided to stay in London with her sister. She found out that Santana's house was huge, but cold and impersonal. Juan Lopez was a nice man who welcomed her well, but also seemed to be a distant man. He was healer and worked in the team headed by Draco Malfoy. Juan was in his fourth year when the last battle at Hogwarts happened. He never joined the resistance group and, on occasion, fought death eaters more to save his own skin than by ideals. The truth is he wasn't like fucking Harry Potter at the time. Juan's father, Hernandes Lopez, was a merchant who came to London to make a living and remained neutral throughout the crisis, instructing his children to do the same.

Juan never got involved directly with politics, but he had his own convictions. Suprematist ideas, for example, weren't on his list of ideologies. He even believed that healers needed to learn the basics of muggle medicine, which he considered more advanced in technology ways. But things changed a little bit of figure some five years ago when he married Amber Nox, who came from a long line of pure-bloods who had a penchant for the art of darkness. Amber had a son, Douglas, at the time he was only two years old, and so he called Juan "daddy".

Rachel realized that although Juan was affectionate with her daughter, Amber was thick and impatient with her stepdaughter. Santana also had little interaction with Douglas, who was a sever-year-old spoiled brat. The sisters came home for the holiday break, and Santana soon shoved Rachel into her bedroom. Here was another environment, as if it were another house. Santana's room had posters on the walls of both Pride of Portree and Muggle artists.

"I like the team you support." Rachel stared at the signs with moving figures.

"You don't even know Quidditch!" Santana frowned.

"Your team's symbol is a star. I like stars."

"Good to know," Santana said as she arranged the mattress for Rachel.

"Wizards don't decorate the house for Christmas? Hogwarts was adorned!"

"Many do it, but there are traditional families who prefer other ways."

"Is yours like this?"

"The Noxes are like that."

At that moment, Rachel regretted not having stayed at Hogwarts.

...

It was Christmas Eve, and it all seemed horrible to Rachel. Santana wasn't exactly the best sister in the world, and everything in that house seemed horrible to her, especially Douglas, which made Rachel reconsider all the concepts she had of spoiled boys. She wanted to strangle the boy who called her mudblood and tried to pull her hair every five minutes. To make matters worse, Amber Nox decided to have a small meeting with her family, and Rachel never felt so contemptuous. She heard comments that Hogwarts was decadent for letting a mudblood get into the great house of Slytherin. It hurt her in an unimaginable way. Tired of hearing so many adult insults that appeared to have come out of a horror film, she took refuge in the backyard of the house, under the outer stairways that led to the roof, and wept. She didn't even care about the cold weather and the snow. In fact, she was even hoping to be frozen, because that way she would stop feeling.

"Ah, finally. Are you there! I'm looking for you like crazy."

Rachel wiped her tears before getting up to talk to her sister.

"What's it?"

"Let's go."

"To where?"

"Brittany!"

Santana took Rachel by the hand and led her into her bedroom. She threw a backpack over her little sister, which left Rachel confused.

"I put a change of clothes of yours. Let's go!"

"But Santana..."

She saw her sister wear a thick coat, a cap, and glasses worn in Quidditch matches. Santana picked up her broom and hurried her sister, who was still confused.

"Are you crazy? It's snowing! It's night!"

"I can find Britt Britt's house with my eyes closed... it's fresh and it's coming!"

Rachel put on a thick coat to protect herself a little better and also wore a cap. She put the backpack on her back and held tight to her sister's waist. She closed her eyes, but her body still felt the cold sensation on her spine as they flew out the window. It was dark. It was snowing, but not too much. The cold was cruel and Rachel could feel the wind counting the skin on her face. No wonder Santana had put on the ridiculous Quidditch glasses. Luckily the stretch was not long, and in five minutes (perhaps the longest five minutes of Rachel's life), the two landed in the backyard of a modest townhouse outside London. They beat some of the snow on their clothes before knocking on the door.

"Just a warning... don't bother Britt's father, okay?"

The door opened and the figure of a plump blond woman appeared.

"Girls, you must be freezing! Come in, come in!"

"Hi Aunt Whit!" Santana quickly hugged the lady. "This is my sister, Rachel."

"Oh, the American one?" The woman hugged the girl. "Welcome... come on... get out of this cold!"

Whitney Pierce closed the door and suddenly Rachel was in a much cozier mood. It was a simple house, but very cozy. The Christmas spirit was definitely there, in the presence of the tree, ornaments, and gifts. Brittany went downstairs and went to hug her best friend. Mr. Pierce, who was Chinese, came from the kitchen, wiping his hands on the dishcloth.

"Who arrived?"

"Santana and her sister came to visit us, Pierce!" Whitney said softly.

"Oh... who is Santana anyway?"

Rachel and Santana exchanged glances. Rachel was beginning to understand the reason for the warning about Brittany's father, who obviously wasn't her biological father. Re-briefings made, Whitney served a delicious hot broth and the family talked about amenities. Santana offered to do the dishes together with Brittany and Rachel said she would also help. When the girls were in the same room, Rachel felt free to ask.

"How long have you spent Christmas together?"

"About four years? It was after my father married with that scum." Santana looked disgusted.

"But how? Brittany is born muggle!"

"We were neighbours before Santana moved to that house, Rachy." Santana's father lived in Windsor and Brittany in Slung.

"Oh!" Rachel was thoughtful for a minute. "I'm your sister, but I seem to know nothing about your life..."

"We'll have time for this, dwarf." Santana kissed Rachel's head.

The girls entered the room warm and cozy. Brittany took a sleeping bag and Santana cast a spell to make it softer. Then the friends decided to stay in the room under the excuse of watching a movie, when in fact they really wanted to talk. Santana conjured silence so that the people in the house would not hear them. Brittany and Santana liked to talk about everything. Ravenclaw was the only person the fake Slytherin could vent. Santana had a lot to say about the particular stressful year she was having at Hogwarts as a result of the unsuccessful prank she and Quinn had planned the year before.

"You shouldn't have taken all the blame, San." Brittany gasped for the umpteenth time. "I don't know why you protect Quinn."

"At least I became almost untouchable at school. No one, except the wondering brothers, messes with me."

"You shouldn't tease them. They're very influential... and it's not like they always start teasing, don't you, Santana!" Brittany snorted.

"They're nothing in Slytherin and I don't take it home."

"Even so..."

"I'll be fine, Britt. We are already in the middle of the school year and nothing else has happened so far. That means that I can even be allowed to play Quidditch next year."

"But I would die if anything happened to you."

"Would you die?" Santana frowned in disbelief.

"Of course yes. You're my best friend, San! I love you!"

"I love you too, Britt Britt."

"I love you so much I'd like to show you like that even in the movies."

"What about the movies?" Santana was nervous.

"It's..." Brittany approached. "Not even in the movies..."

Santana couldn't imagine even in her best dreams that her first kiss would be given at Christmas night by the person she loved best. She had thought she might like girls the way she was supposed to like boys, but she never allowed herself to thinking deep about it. At that moment, feeling Brittany's lips pressed against hers, her heart soared, butterflies in her stomach began to fly. It was a wonderful feeling: the best Christmas present ever.

...

The game between Hufflepuff and Gryffindor by the tops of the houses was shivering. James Potter was the league's least leaked keeper in his first season on the team, and Rose Granger-Weasley was the second best seeker according to the statistics. Lily was nervous on the bench: she was one of the . The Hufflepuff had made a better league and went on the pitch as favourites. It was said that this was the last year of a great Hufflepuff generation, since practically all but the keeper was in the seventh year, and the top chaser Dagoberto Malesevich had a pre-contract with Ballycastle Bats.

Most of Ravenclaw was on the side of the yellow team because the odds of them winning were higher. The Slytherins were never on the side of anyone, but they were there to watch the match in space reserved for them.

Santana sat in a more secluded corner and watched Hufflepuff crush Gryffindor in 33 minutes. She thought she would feel a special taste in seeing James Potter get involved by the yellow chasers, but it wasn't like that. In fact, she felt sorry for the kid, who was great but didn't stand a chance against an experienced team that left to play with the full starting lineup just in the last game. But the truth is that she secretly sympathized with the red house and did not know exactly the reason. Like Slytherin, she could not relate so much to archrivals.

From the bleachers, Santana saw the head mistress Minerva delivering the glass to the Hufflepuffs, who left for the castle at a party full of magical chants and fireworks. The Slytherins soon left the bleachers, just like everyone else who didn't follow the party. But Santana stayed in the Quidditch pitch. She went down to the lawn, picked up a quaffle and played alone, making motions as if she were imagining a match on the ground.

"Can I play, too?"

Santana looked back and saw Brittany approaching. She threw the quaffle to her girlfriend, who immediately started running toward Santana to dribble her at the last moment.

"The Ravenclaws weren't honoured guests at the Hufflepuffs party?" Santana asked without a pause.

"Yeah... I know... I'd rather be here with you."

Santana smiled and they were at peace, playing alone with an imaginary Quidditch practiced with their feet on the ground.

Melissa and Lily approached the field, not because they were spying on the girls, but because Melissa had forgotten her purse. They watched the girls play and then Santana and Brittany kissed. Lily flushed watching the scene which she wasn't supposed to witness. It was the first time she had seen two girls kissing. No matter how banal it was for the muggles of that time, it was important to note that Lily lived almost exclusively in the wizarding world. Homosexuality was no longer recriminated as before, but neither was it shown.

"Look who's dating!" Melissa's eyes widened. "Think about what we can do with this information!"

"We're not going to do anything," Lily scolded her friend. "Not about that."

Lily flew with Melissa on her broom outside the bleachers so as not to catch the attention of the young couple playing.

"Accio bag!" Melissa ordered as soon as they reached the bleachers reserved for the Gryffindors. Nothing happened.

Lily started looking under the accents, followed by her friend. The bag wasn't there.

"Did someone catch it?" Lily asked.

"Who would want an old bag?"

"What was inside her for you to be so worried about?"

"My journal!"

"Oh... OH!"

Melissa had made some notes about how attracted she was to a colleague from Ravenclaw, but like every teenager, she would "die" if anyone else knew. Lily, as best friend, of course she knew. They searched the bleachers, but it looked like Melissa's purse was gone.

"What are you doing here?"

The Gryffindor girls weren't as discreet as they intended and attracted the attention of the couple of girlfriends who played on the lawn. Santana took an old broom used in flight initiation classes and borrowed from students who could not afford a broom. She flew to the bleachers to take satisfaction from the girl she hated, while Brittany remained on the lawn.

"Were you spying on us?"

"NO!" Lily hastened to answer. "We're here because Melissa lost her purse. I swear that was it, Lopez! I would never spy on you... nor invade your intimacy."

"Potter, I swear if you..."

"It's true!" Melissa intervened. "We came back because I forgot my purse. Not everything has to do with you, Lopez!"

"SAN!" The girls heard Brittany scream from the lawn. The y looked toward the Ravenclaw. "SAN... DO NOT KILL THE GIRLS!"

Santana looked at Lily and Melissa. She picked up her wand, even if she still had doubts about the good intentions of her opponents.

"I WILL NOT KILL THEM!" Santana yelled back at her girlfriend and then looked at the others more reserved. "Right now..."

"Believe it or not, we're here looking for a purse. In fact, if you don't want to help, you would do a huge favour by getting back to your girlf... "

Lily's speech was interrupted by a low scream. She looked at Melissa who seemed not to have listened.

"What?" Her friend asked.

"Did you just listened somebody…"

"Screaming?" Santana asked. "Yeah, I think I listened it too."

Santana looked toward the lawn, but Brittany was still in the center, looking up, following the outcome of the confrontation that took place in the lower stands.

The high-pitched shriek repeated itself and seemed to come from outside the field. Lily climbed onto her own broom at the same time Santana did the same with the school's old one. They collided and fell still in the stands.

"What do you think you're doing?" Santana complained.

"Didn't you hear that someone could be in danger? If you won't help, then stay away from that broom."

"No way!" Santana flew out of the Quidditch field with Lily.

They skirted the field, with Lily ahead, as her 2001 Nimbus was much faster than the old Comets used by the students in flight classes. Santana had a Nimbus 2000, but she was out of range at the time. As they gained the side of the field that led into the forbitten forest, they saw the body of a Ravenclaw girl spread out on the lawn a few yards from the field. And none other than Miranda Larson. There were no signs of any person or creature nearby. Santana and Lily landed next to her body. Lily immediately checked Larson's heartbeat.

"She's..." Santana was afraid even to complete the question.

"She's alive." Lily studied Larson, at least as far as her inexperience would allow.

"I don't see anything here. No magic object... nothing. Did someone attack her and then disapparate?" Santana looked around.

"There's no way to apparate at Hogwarts!"

"There is no way to apparate in the castle and a few meters from the castle. Maybe it's possible here."

"I don't know, Santana! What I know is we have to get help."

"I'm going to the castle and you stay here with her." She pointed toward the Quidditch pitch. "See? Britt and your friend are running here right now. They will help you and her."

"My broom is faster!"

"But if I stay and she dies, they'll say it's my fault and I'm going to be kicked out!"

At that point, Lily knew Santana was right. She decided to give Santana her Nimbus 2001. Santana took the flight to the castle. The broom was a rocket, much faster and more stable than the lower model she had. Too bad we didn't have enough savings to make a trade. Despite being banned by the rules of conduct, she flew inside the castle, scaring many students, provoking many complaints. Many of the students began to think that this would be another malicious plan by Santana Lopez. She was knocked over by someone and rolled down the wide corridors of the castle. When she stopped, lying on her back and in pain, she saw the image of an angry Professor Neville Longbotton.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Help... there's a student wounded... near the Quidditch pitch."

"Lopez, if you're lying..."

"Lily Potter is there..." Santana sat still feeling the pain of the fall. "Lily Potter is with the wounded girl. I swear."

Neville picked up Santana's broom (which was actually Lily's) and it was his turn to fly down the Hogwarts corridors.

...

Miranda Larson was known for having discreet behaviour and for having a great affinity for astronomy, to the point of being one of the dearest students of the teacher Aurora Sinistra. She had a close friend, the Ravenclaw Lucy Warren, and was allegedly dating Sonny Beaver. When Neville rescued her, she was first taken to the infirmary by Padma Patil. The student had minor excoriations and was very confused. She couldn't remember anything or how she won the black mark. It was clear that she had been attacked, and her memory had been unkindly dismissed. In fact, Larson had her memory really affected. She barely remembered studying at Hogwarts.

"We need to send her home," Sinistra defended before the student who slept sedated.

"Not until I'm sure of the nature of her problem," Padma said firmly.

"Pad..." Neville caught the attention of his longtime friend. "Did you see that?" He tugged the sleeve of her student blouse.

"She can't leave this school," Minerva ordered. "Let's reinforce and extend the boundaries of anti-apparation and protection spells. Let's dig up the castle, and, Neville, let's put Harry and the others aurors in the know. If I need to, I want the presence of active aurors here. It seems clear to me that the side of there will try to entice the candidates."

"What do you do with her colleagues? And as for the girls who found her... you know, Minerva ... Lopez and Lily... They're going to ask questions. "

The head mistress of Hogwarts stared at the current teacher with her pale blue eyes, full of compassion, and pondered.

"We don't know anything yet, Neville. We have no choice but to let this question unfold naturally over time. Any intervention we make now can have disastrous effects."

Neville nodded and accepted. At least for a while.

...

"I bet it was Lopez." Finn fired while talking to Samuel and Kurt shortly before Muggle music class. "I heard Melissa saying that Lopez was close to the scene when the raid happened. She's a death eater."

"Really?" Kurt was surprised. "But how did Lopez and Lily Potter get together when they found the girl?"

"What if she planned everything to look innocent? What if she's actually complimenting someone... from another death eater? I don't doubt anything about that girl! They say she's the reincarnation of you-know-who."

The crowd was silenced when Rachel entered the room. Frightened by sudden quiet, Rachel thought to utter a few rude words. But she thought better of it, made herself superior, as usual, and sat down in the center chair in the first row. Hugo entered shortly after the teacher. The boy was late, as usual. Hugo sat down next to her almost secret friend and tried to focus on the teacher's explanation of what disco was. In the second part of the class, Rachel raised her hand, as usual, and volunteered to sing. Not every time the teacher allowed the only Slytherin in his class to sing, even though she was the best one, alongside Mercedes Jones. This time he allowed it and Rachel introduced the number.

"This is a Two Feed song. I would like to dedicate it to some classmates."

She smiled and started.

" _Fucked and drank all night_

 _I did all alright_

 _Had no need to fight tonight, tonight_ "

"Rachel!" Schuester interrupted. "I thought it was clear that songs with low slang words would not be accepted in this class! And what kind of music is that?"

"Go fuck yourself!"

"What? Repeat this one more time and you will be punished. "

"The name of the song is Go Fuck Yourself, and I dedicate it to all of you who are accusing my sister in her back. If I'm grounded for that, I say it's a good punishment."

...

There was a second attack. This time in the courtyard of the black tower. Logan Mars, a sixth-year Hufflypuff, was found in a coma with the same spot on his forearm. This time he was found by chance by Galileo Soulback, a seventh-year Gryffindor, while he was flying around the castle. Once again, members of the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army were gathered in the infirmary trying to find explanations.

"Larson wasn't in as bad a condition as Mars. She has already been discharged from the clinic. She has no memory of what happened, but physically she's fine. Mars is another story: he was brutally attacked and I think the fact that he was born muggle has relevance." Padma said at the meeting with six members present. "Logan Mars came to visit me from time to time because he wanted to become a healer. I know him reasonably well to say that he hadn't problems with anyone in school. He is a quiet student. The last person who spoke to him before the event was his girlfriend. She said she didn't see anything abnormal happening." Padma finished reporting the report she had made.

"Our protection spells were not corrupted." Minerva informed the others. "Hangrid said the creatures are under control."

"What do you suggest, Minerva?" Neville asked.

"It is possible that we have an infiltrator in the castle, may be an older student with a specific agenda. And by the characteristics, that person can be a probably illegal animagus. Lopez and Lily said they heard a scream, they arrived fast but saw no sign of anyone or any magic artifacts nearby. It is quite possible that the girls didn't pay attention to a small animal. Who knows in a mouse."

"But how can we be sure there is an invader? Especially if this invader is an Animagus? "Padma asked.

"Neville. Do you know if Harry Potter left his special map to his kids?"

"It's quite possible that James knows something."

...

"I hate it!" Rachel called out as she cleaned the castle's silverware. "I hate that!"

"Little Lopez already said that."

Rachel glared at Simons.

"For the umpteenth time, do not call me Little Lopez. My last name is neither Lopez! I am Corcoran-Berry."

"Miss Santana complained less."

"My sister blew the Gryffindors' table. Obviously she wouldn't complain knowing that the alternative was expulsion. I, on the other hand, am here with you just because I wanted to defend her honour. For what?"

"Little Lopez must love a lot Santana girl."

"I'm doubting it. How to love someone who spent the whole year practically ignoring me? Taking a few moments here and there, sometimes I get the impression that Santana only talks to me here at school because she has no choice. She spends more time with Brittany and Quinn than with me."

"But little Lopez also spends a lot of time with Mione's boy."

"Are you spying on me, Simons?" Rachel put her hands on her hips and frowned.

"Little Lopez has such a beautiful voice. It's like an angel! I like the music."

"In that case..." Rachel gave a small smile. "I even like to know that I have a fan. Even though he is so small, eared and nosebleed. But, hey, fan is a fan, right?"

"Can Little Lopez sing?"

Rachel thought for a moment and decided to hum along Broadway classics as she finished polishing the silverware. For the elf, it was like receiving a gift. She had no musical instrument, but Rachel's voice was so melodious that it made her feel very good. Rachel was so engrossed in the singing that she didn't notice that her punishment time had passed. She left the cleaning supplies in a corner of the room for the elves to pick up later.

Rachel walked down the stairs at a time when most of the students at the school were either in the great hall for dinner or in their respective communal rooms. To think that Slytherin was still in the dungeons, so there were many flights of stairs coming down, discouraged Rachel. Dirty and tired, she slowed down between the corridors. That's when she heard a voice coming from behind her.

"You're a disgrace to Slytherin's great house."

Rachel looked back and saw Dean Crable, a sixth grade Slytherin student, pointing his wand at her.

"Good to know..." Rachel tried to pose as a brave one, but the truth of the matter was that his presence made her terrified. Under other circumstances, she would face the natural insult. But she was in an empty hallway staring at a young 17-year-old man who was almost twice her size. Rachel was only 11 years old.

"It was over 100 years ago that no bad blood entered the great house. Until you contaminate everything with your muggle filth."

Rachel's heart raced. Crable was definitely not there to keep her company. Considering the recent attacks at Hogwarts, she quickly realized that she could stand before the author behind them.

"Expelliamus!" She ordered.

Unfortunately, Rachel wasn't a good student in defence against dark art and couldn't execute the spell her sister taught her. Crable defended himself from the attack. Rachel then used another weapon: she screamed at the top of her lungs and ran as fast as she could.

"Flipendo!" Crable ordered, causing Rachel to fly and crash hard against the stone wall of the hallway. The impact made her lose her senses.

The aggressor approached with calm, pointed his wand.

"Expelliamus!" Someone ordered, and this time he was disarmed.

He looked toward the disarming author and saw Finn Hudson and Samuel Evans approach with their wands.

"Verdimillious!" Samuel shouted, but Crable was nimble enough to retrieve his wand.

Instead of preparing the kickback, what the boys saw was disturbing. Crable's body rapidly diminished to the size of a cockroach. The boys were so stunned that they did not react when the illegal Animagus escaped through a crack. Finn went to Rachel and saw that the girl was dizzy.

"We'd better get out of here," Samuel warned.

Finn helped Rachel get up and the three of them went to get help as fast as they could.

...

Neville and Harry Potter were standing in front of Dean Crable, still caught at Hogwarts thanks to the marauders' map. The young man seemed to be enjoying being interrogated by the Auror Chief in a room in the middle of the Ministry of Magic. It was as if he had reached the pinnacle of life, of attention. It was like a rock star for five minutes.

"Crable, the people who gave you this mission are not there for your well-being. You're just a pawn. Why be faithful to people who do'ot care if you live or die?" Harry asked, but all he did was provoke the boy's smiles.

"He's already among us! He is already among us and you, boy who survived, are doomed!"

Harry and Neville tried to interrogate for an hour and got meaningful information. They discovered that Crable was marking the Muggle-borns so they were more easily identified and sacrificed when Voldermort-wanna-be arise. He also had a responsibility to address the candidates. His first attempt was with Miranda Larson. As she rejected him, she was attacked. This angered Neville and Harry, who sent the young man to the cell. Then they met Draco Malfoy, who watched the entire interrogation.

"There is a sect. It's small, but it's getting stronger" Draco explained. "The old allies of you-know-who don't give a damn to these people because they are like underdogs extremists, but don't fail to observe because these people can be useful later."

"The point is, the prophecy will bring more of these groups together," Harry lamented. "But we still have some advantage because they don't know what we know about potential candidates."

"You're an optimistic idiot, Potter. Last year's trick only left them confused for some time. It's clear that this maneuver has already been detected. What they still think is that there are seven, including Quinn Fabray, while we work with six candidates." Draco informed him.

"What's their guess?" Harry asked.

"Quinn Fabray, although Santana Lopez is not far behind. The others are also observed, but there seems to be some inclination toward Evans."

"Evans?" Neville was confused.

"Because of his wand. Of elm" Draco explained.

"Are they analysing the wands?" Neville was puzzled.

"You don't? I don't much like the talk of these wand scholars, but there is every sense in some explanations. All seven initials have dragon core wands. Wand with unicorn core makes it difficult to perform dark spells. Evans has an elm wand, which is a purebred tradition. Santana's wand is made of ebony, which shows her pre-disposition for duels and the struggle for a cause. Fabray has a cedar wand, which shows that she is insightful and loyal to the cause she chooses. Chang and Beaver have Beech wands, which shows they have an open mind. Larson has a maple wand, for adventurers and explorers. Hudson has an English Oak wand, which means strength, courage, and fidelity. By the wands, it is possible to see that Evans, Lopez and Fabray are more prone to the art of darkness and the others."

"Practicing dark art doesn't make you a dark wizard. If that were the case, Mione and I would be one" Harry pointed out.

"True, but we're looking at slopes, Potter," Draco mused.

"I think we better think about it!" Neville sighed.

Draco said goodbye to his colleagues, leaving Harry and Neville alone to comment on the latest information.

"Poor Fabray." Neville lamented. "I hope I can do something for her."

"Her father was a Voldemort sympathizer we couldn't arrest." Harry folded his arms. "I hate to admit it, but what Draco said makes sense."

"The worst is I can't make affirmations," Neville lamented. "None of our six have performed out of the ordinary either last year or this year."

"I see... You need more time. But, Neville, it's running out fast. We tried to embrace the six, but if one of them decides to turn its back, we need to be prepared and we need to prepare our chosen one."

Neville agreed.

As soon as he left the Ministry of Magic, he opened the molesquine he liked to carry with him everywhere. He recited the magic words so that his observations appeared on the pages that were once white. In one of the latter, a thought he had written:

" _I am more and more inclined to the idea that Santana Lopez is the new evil lord. It would be so much simpler to kill her now. It could make it look like an accident and thus free the world from possible 100 years of agony. I could become a killer for a greater good. But I can't do it. I can't kill someone who is still innocent, even if she already shows signs of harboring a dark side._ "


	3. Year 3

While many of the students were coming up for the summer, Quinn returned to Hogwarts quieter than usual. She heard the stories of Brittany having fun in Paris. From Rachel telling about the new play she saw on Broadway and how she and Santana first visited the little wizarding neighbourhood that existed in Manhattan. Santana just laughed to remember the faces and mouths that Shelby made when she came into contact with the wizarding world after so many years away. Santana said her mother almost had a heart attack when she discovered that none other than Idina Menzel, Shelby's idol, was a witch.

"Mrs. Menzel?" Santana mimicked her own mother to dramatize the encounter better. "What a surprise you find her in this... place! I'm a big fan of yours!"

"Oh, but I'm always here!" Rachel began to imitate Idina Menzel. "I am a loyal customer of Mrs. Totil's hair and skin potions. Don't you know?"

"It's just that I don't come here much. My daughters study at Hogwarts by the way, and my work at Hunter's theater is very drawn."

They both laughed, infecting Brittany. Quinn smiled, but her eyes couldn't disguise a certain melancholy.

There were no incidents of student arrivals at Hogwarts, or even clashes between rival groups. When it came to going to the dorms, Rachel was sad because, in her sophomore year, she didn't have the company of either Santana or Quinn. The third-year girls occupied another room with the fourth-year girls. Rachel looked at the new girls and no one seemed friendly enough to share a room. She thought of Tina Chang and offered company.

"But don't think I'm going to chat with you around." Tina warned when she started packing her things in bed next to Rachel.

In the other room, which wasn't so different from the first one, except for the slightly higher partitions separating the bedrooms, Quinn and Santana began to organize their own space. They already understood each other's habits and manias. Needless to say, for example, that Santana preferred the bed on the left, and that the walls on the right should be cleaned of posters.

"Quinn." Santana called her friend to see the wardrobe.

"What?"

Santana did the spell of expansion, doubling the internal space of the small wardrobe. Quinn stared at the result and stared at the best friend with some disdain.

"You said you could do the spell until the beginning of last year. It's a year late. You lost, Lopez!" She teased with a smirk at the corner of her mouth.

"Bitch!" Santana countered. "Just because of that, I'll charge you five galleons."

They both laughed.

...

Miranda Larson, of an open and cheerful girl, became withdrawn and sad after the attack. The change was felt by close friends Mike and Sonny. The worst of the trauma of being attacked was not the act itself, as she dried remembered the violence. In fact, Miranda lost the memory of valuable things, like her first kiss and how she won her father's explorer hat. If before traveling the world was the desire of the young Gryffindor displaced in Ravenclaw, now all she wanted was discretion.

"Mir!" Sonny called her best friend. "Aren't you coming for dinner?"

"I'm not hungry," she said in the Ravenclaw common room.

"I'll bring you that cookie you like." Sonny kissed her best friend's forehead and went to dinner with Mike and other roommates.

Miranda, when she saw herself in the common room, lifted the sleeve of her coat and saw the scar on the skin left by the removal of the black mark. Even though the horrible drawing was no longer there, she could feel the place burning. She didn't hate anything before, now she felt it with every intensity.

"Death eaters will pay," she swore to herself.

...

"Finally!"

Santana took a deep breath and smiled when the new captain of the Slytherin team, Scorpius Malfoy, was able to gain access to the Quidditch pitch for the team's first training. The 13-year-old was wearing the Pride of Portree T-shirt, while Quinn Fabray, at her side, held a Firebolt and wore professional sports equipment worn by the Tutshill Tornados. The false Slytherin's eyes sparkled with the possibility of having a real place in the team, knowing that the selection would be fair. Unlike his father, Scorpius Malfoy, in his fifth year, was considered a cool guy for a Slytherin, not to mention that he was one of the best students in the school. He was Al Potter's best friend and, the gossip said, had a crush on Rose Granger-Weasley.

The Slytherin team made a poor championship the previous year, getting in last place. It was something that hadn't happened for many years, to the shame of that team. So changes were promoted. Scorpius assumed the position of captain and, as keeper, promised to restructure the team, leaving out the uncreated henchmen of the former captain, Blake Nox. Of the old titular team only Scorpius and the beaters remained. Everything else would be renewed.

The first test was among chasers candidates. Santana, Netunus Black and George Patton stood out to beat the older players. Santana, as expected, demonstrated unmatched skill and technique. She was natural as a chaser. The twins Kanan and Ezra Goyle were also surprisingly well as beaters, which put Scorpius in doubt. It was something he would have to think about later. Quinn Fabray won the seeker spot not because his father was wealthy and presided over a team. She showed dexterity and privileged reflexes. Out of solidarity with her best friend, Quinn didn't try to get in the team the previous year, which made Santana grateful and moved by her friend's loyalty.

When Scorpius confirmed their acceptance, the newcomers celebrated as never before. At the end of the selection, the new Slytherin's team would meet in the center of the lawn for a first chat. Meanwhile, from the top of the stands, James, Lily, Rose were annoyed by what they saw of the Slytherin team.

"Their team is better this season," James said.

James was in his seventh year and this would be his last chance to win the Houses Cup. He had the misfortune to cross with the most successful Hufflepuff generation, but with the Hufflepuff historical team's breakup, the Gryffindors had a real chance. The red team managed to keep the runners-up base, which was very good, but the potential of the new Slytherin team made doubts. One of the few news that the Gryffindor brought was the acceptance of the young Blaine Anderson, who gained a place in the bench among the chasers, since Lily was promoted to start the game.

"I hate to admit it, but she's a great player!" Lily was referring to Santana, but this was already naturally implied by her brother and her cousin.

"The championship hasn't started yet!" Rose tried to be optimistic. "We know the Ravenclaws have selected Chang and Pierce. They're good. The Hufflepuffs are still missing, but their team was undone this season. From what I know, Sam Evans is a good seeker. There's no one else to see."

"Hugo won't try to join the team?" James asked and gained glances from the girls. Hugo? Playing Quidditch? Not even a matter of life and death.

...

Speaking of Hugo, he was in one of the not-so-secret meetings with Rachel. Friendship with Slytherin made him become more and more interested in Muggle music, to the point of beginning to glimpse a career. He wasn't as intelligent as his mother or sister, he was so uninterested in the same things as his father, Ron Weasley. He didn't even care about Quidditch, despite going to the stadiums with his family. His sister, Rose, was one of the good seekers of the school, and he couldn't care less. But the song, that song was appealing to Hugo.

Hermione began teaching all she knew from piano to her son when Hugo was only four. When he was eight years old, he was able to read sheet music and took the risk of making small compositions. Hermione, as a good observer, even paid a Muggle teacher so that Hugo could get better. So, he took piano lessons with Mrs. Pikelohan for two years. He learned classical and some jazz pieces, which was instrumental in refining his technique and gaining in knowledge and style.

Hugo liked jazz and always listened it on the radio. Many of the great jazz musicians were wizards exiled in the Muggle world. To play the instruments as many of them did, it was necessary to have some magic hands. Hugo, until then, wasn't familiar with muggle pop music, so he wanted to take Mr. Schuester's lessons. The teacher was very bad, never explained anything right. But at least the students could listen to the songs, sing and do whatever they wanted. Hugo learned more from Rachel, who forced him to search for songs to be able to follow the wide repertoire of popular songs that the girl possessed.

He also liked to teach her piano, although it was clear that Rachel's instrument was her voice. Even so, she could learn something with some effort.

"You should try singing." Rachel said after playing a four-handed song with Hugo.

"I can't." Hugo flinched. What he said was entirely true. He was a lanky kid like everyone else at the age of twelve. Puberty made him exhale strange smells, and he was growing fast, even in the parts that used to be modest, and his voice squeaked from one moment to another. "You can sing for both of us. In fact you could sing for a whole choir, Rach."

"Whole choir?" Rachel frowned, leaving the boy in doubt. "You know that would be a great idea?"

"What?" Hugo was confused.

"Create a choir!"

"Create a choir? Hogwarts already has one."

"But it's a boring, formal choir. We could do a performance chorus with dancing and singing, like those in Pitch Perfect franchise films." Seeing the doubt on her friend's face, Rachel smiled and explained. "I need to update you about muggle movies, Hugo. It's a series of films about the competition of acapella groups. The difference is that ours wouldn't be like that."

"Why?"

"Because we rely on a wonderful pianist. You!"

"But how are we going to do this? Hogwarts frog-choir people won't be happy if they have a competitor in the same school."

"The Hogwarts choir is boring and elitist. How can only 10 students be selected to sing those awful songs? With frogs? Have you heard the Hogwarts anthem? It's bizarre!" Rachel said still remembering how bewildered she was when she heard the school anthem for the first time. The lyrics were surreal, worthy of a piece of comedy. But on the other hand, most wizarding world music is bizarre. How come one of the greatest hits of all time was 'Can you dance like a hippogriff'? "I said, our choir will be different. Different arts. Have I told you that my mother is a musical theatre professor? She also coordinates a performance chorus that is incredible. I know how to do it!"

"I don't know, Rach. Wouldn't that be a lot of work?"

"Of course, Hugo! But think about it: we can produce the first performing song group in Hogwarts history!"

Hugo looked at his friend in amazement. Rachel was standing by the piano, arms raised, clenched fists. It was the very image of a diva. It was scary.

...

Al Potter and Scorpius Malfoy were sitting in Minerva's office without knowing why they were there. The prefects of their respective houses speculated the reasons they might have been called, since the beginning of the year seemed as normal to them as in previous years, even with the arrest of Dean Crable. The boy's victims were fine and returned to school, two aurors would circulate throughout the school year to enhance security, and even the supremist voices were timider at Hogwarts that year.

"Do you think it has to do with what happened last year with us?" Scorpius was referring to the little adventure they got involved in, but that went unnoticed for the rest of the school.

"That matter is buried."

"So?"

"I have no idea."

The door opened, and to the surprise of the boys, it wasn't the head mistress, but Harry Potter with Neville Longbottom and Draco Malfoy.

"Dad?" Al Potter was confused. "What..."

"Are we in trouble for any reason?" Scorpius was also lost.

"You're not in trouble," Harry hastened to clear up. "Actually, guys, we're here because we need help."

"Okay!" Al said casually.

"Boys, first of all, you need to know that we're here on a mission. It is very serious one and even dangerous. If you don't want to be a part of this, please leave the room and everything will be as if this meeting never happened." Draco pointed out, but the boys stood firm in front of the adults.

"We'd like to know what you know about the supposed prophecy about the new Dark Lord?" Harry asked.

Al and Scorpius exchanged glances, but found only doubts.

"Isn't that just a gossip?" Al Potter frowned.

"Well ..." Scorpius began cautiously. "Some guys believe that was just gossip, but I heard something... from my father's conversations ... that's not quite the way it is. There seems to be a real prophecy."

"There is a prophecy indeed." Draco didn't have the same caution Harry had to deal with such matters. "But it concerns the confrontation of two champions: the darkness and the light ones. The champion of darkness is not necessarily the reincarnation of Voldemort, but it's rather the person who will bring forth supremacist issues that have been silenced since the second wizarding war. Do you understand that, son? Albus?"

Scorpius nodded, but Al still looked doubtful.

"According to this prophecy, these people aren't only already born, but also studying at Hogwarts at this very time. They are supposed to be in their third year."

"Dad..." Al still looked confused. "Lily is in her third year..."

"Your sister is a very important part of it, Albus, but she's not one of the people we're looking for. In fact, we would like you to approach our concerns in a way that we can't. We don't want you to snoop, but to observe and, if possible, talk to them, try to identify their ideas, anything that can help us solve this puzzle. We can't go wrong. Before I speak any more, I'd like to make sure that you're willing to embark on this mission."

"Count on me, dad." Albus said.

"I'm in."

Harry smiled. Albus was always the most introspective of his children, but in the apparent shyness and difficulty his son had for certain kinds of magic, he had odd courage.

"We need you to watch Santana Lopez, Finn Hudson, Samuel Evans, Mike Chang, Sonny Beavers and Miranda Larson."

"If you think Santana Lopez is the new you-know-who, ask Lily and Rose that they'll make sure of that!" Al Potter mocked.

"It's not that simple," Harry explained. "This brings us to a very important detail. You can't reveal this to anyone. Al, you can't comment this even vaguely with your cousins and siblings. Not even with Rose!"

"But Rose is reliable," Scorpius argued.

"She's an incredible girl and as smart as Hermione, but you need to understand that just by knowing that information, you carry immense power in hand, that you can decide on the fate of someone, or our world. You won't want to share that responsibility with anyone else, believe me." Draco explained. "And any important information they have, contact Neville immediately. Understood?"

The boys nodded. For Scorpius it would be simple to approach Santana since she was on the Quidditch team. But what about the others? It was possible to use his position with Slytherin captain to get information from those who played Quidditch. Approaching them was something else.

"Albus." Harry called his son for a private conversation.

"What is it, Dad?"

"Can you do another favour? Can you keep an eye on your sister? Do you if she's... enchanted by someone? "

"Why?"

"You know... she's 13 years old. It's the age at which some things begin to show up."

"Oh! Dad, Lily is a responsible girl."

"Still, take care of your sister."

…

"How about wishing me good luck?"

Brittany smiled and hugged her girlfriend, then gave her a long, calm kiss on the lips.

"Is that good?"

"I feel ready to go there and kick some asses."

Santana picked up her Nimbus 2000 and walked over to where the Slytherin team was, who would take the field for the first time against the archival Gryffindor. She felt a crazy cold in her belly at the sound of the bleachers. The students seemed excited to watch the first game. They especially wanted to see how the new green team would play under Scorpius Malfoy's captaincy. Slytherin was the team that most trained with intensity in the weeks of preparation, and they were sharp.

After warming up on the ground, Slytherins players walked in a group to the point where the Gryffindors players were. Scorpius greeted James and they headed the line of their respective teams.

"I'm going to end you all!" Santana repeated as a mantra to the game.

"You won't see the colour of the quaffle." Lily said loud enough for everyone to hear, especially Santana.

"Hum..." Santana decided to tease a bit, despite the nudge she received at Quinn's back. "Did anyone notice that trolls can talk? What a surprise! Where's Professor Hagrid to study this creature?"

"You think you're really funny, don't you, Lopez?"

"I'm hilarious, Potter," Santana said with incredible confidence.

"It's good that you laugh now, because you're going to be crying at the end of this match."

"Want to bet?" Santana stared at the rival.

"Why not? I know I'll win."

That caught the attention of the others, who looked toward the two girls.

"Really? So, if you accidentally lose, would you declare your unconditional love for Slytherin to everbody?"

"On the downside, considering that you're going to lose, would you by any chance deign to do the same for Gryffindor?"

"I would serve your dinner and massage your feet, inclusive. For you to see the certainty that I have that my team will win."

Santana's challenge was accompanied by screams to stimulate the bet and increase the thirst of girls' rivalry. Lily determined and squeezed Santana's hand, sealing the bet witnessed by everyone else.

The teams were announced. First the captains, followed by the other players. Gryffindor flew to the right side of the field, and Slytherin to the left. Scorpius positioned himself in the arches, and James did the same for the red side. Rose was more experienced than Quinn as a seeker, which gave her ample advantage. But conditions were more balanced in the middle of the field. Santana's talent, and the fact that she was the only left-hander among the field gunners, made the trio of green chasers have an advantage over the red one.

Gryffindors beaters were known to play with a lot of tactical discipline, but those who accompanied the Slytherins' training knew that the Goyle twins had a singular attunement, reminiscent of the good times of the Weasleys twins in the 1990s.

The timer went off, the balls were thrown, and Santana got possession of the quaffle. In a quick and brave attack, she reached the bows and gave a precise pass at the last moment for Netunus to open the scoring. Vibration in the bleachers of the green crowd. Game restarted, Lily leaves with the quaffle, dribbles George Patton, but needs to make an abrupt maneuver because of the bludger thrown in her direction by Ezra Goyle. Netunus takes the corner kick from the right byline. Escape flying on the side of the field, just above the bleachers and makes the play with Santana, which marks the second goal. 20 x 0.

The Gryffindor team suffered with the unstable start. Bail Onyo threw the quaffle, which was defended by Scorpius. Netunus took advantage of the leftover, which passed to Santana, who dribbled Lily and passed to George, who dribbled Bail and passed again to Santana, who scored again.

"Come on guys!" James yelled at the team.

Above the field, Rose tried to visualize the golden snitch at all costs, because she felt that if she didn't take the winged ball quickly, then Slytherin would have more than 15 goals of advantages, which would allow them to win the game regardless of the snitch's capture. Quinn tried to do the reverse strategy. She flew lower in the field and, depending on the movement, climbed above the bleachers.

James defended an unbalanced pitch from Netunus. He passed quickly to Bail who passed to Lily. She scored the first for Gryffindor, taking advantage of a distraction due to the bludger. The match was only balanced early in the second half when Gryffindor traded Lion Bates for Tiya McGlynn. The two girls, plus the physical strength of Bail, gave a better balance in the attack. Lily played more freely while, on the other side, Santana began to suffer with the relentless marking of Tiya. It was past 80 minutes, and the score was 90 x 70 for the green team. Santana made a lovely individual play, but James miraculously defended. The quaffle was left for Lily, who used the power of her Nimbus 2001 to score another goal and get her team.

"Ready to massage my feet?" Lily teased Santana.

"You'll feel it's my hand around your neck soon." Santana countered.

Quinn was worried. She had already fallen on Rose's various fake moves, and saw that the Gryffindors were starting to turn the tables. In the second half, Scorpius let his chasers and beaters understand each other and decided to keep the conversation just with Quinn.

"Is everything okay?" He asked gently to the rookie seeker.

"Weasley is a Machiavellian brain. It looks like she's playing chess with me, not Quidditch."

"It's because she is!" Scorpius glanced toward the Gryffindors and saw his girlfriend talking to the beaters. Then he turned to Quinn. "Forget she's on the field. Abstracts Rose from your mind. If you ignore her, Rose loses her advantage over you."

"But what if I see the snitch and she's closest to it?"

"Pray for her to think it's a bluff! Trust me."

Start of the third half. Santana dribbled without a quaffle over Tiya and received the pass to score the most beautiful goal of the game. Scorpius defended an attack and it left the green team free to make a rehearsed move and open up a little more advantage on the scoreboard.

Meanwhile, Quinn saw Rose firing into a race. She felt tempted to run after her, but she remembered the captain's words. She closed her eyes.

"Ignore, ignore, ignore..."

When Quinn opened her eyes, there was the snitch zapping a little over ten yards. Quinn fired, turned away from a bludgers in the middle of the path. The snitch came up, made a sharp turn to the right, flew toward the bleachers. Rose was approaching. The snitch was nearby, Rose was coming in the other direction. The two of them were going to crash. That's when Quinn decided to do something crazy. She jumped from the broom, spun in the air and fell upon the Ravenclaws. Expectation in the air, the students made room and a triumphant Quinn, still lying on the floor of the bleachers, raises her arm. The Golden Snitch was in her hand.

The fans cheered. The Slytherins got their first win after a failed season. Santana, the chaser with more goals scored in the match, was the first to arrive and celebrate with her best friend. The referee confirmed the victory by 270 to 100 for Slytherin. Winning had a wonderful feeling.

Santana met Brittany at the exit of the field and gained a tight hug and a kiss on the lips. Nor did she realize that this was the first time she had had a public showing of affection for her girlfriend. In fact, no one at school knew of the existence of this couple, other than Quinn and Rachel (besides Melissa and Lily, who discovered by accident). If Santana wanted to keep secrecy or discretion, it all went downhill in that moment of joy and momentum. The wizarding world of the United Kingdom was more liberal than the others. Homosexuality wasn't a problem, but there was a lot of prejudice running around the society, especially in the most conservative and purist side (though some said that it was worse to be bad blood than to be gay).

Anyway, it was still something different for society at large, since gay couples were few. Only one was known to work in the premises of the Ministry of Magic, and there are two others known socially. The others that could exist were off the radar. Not even Dumbledore's sexuality, considered one of the most powerful wizards of all time, was publicly known.

Suddenly, when Santana realized, several glances were over her and Brittany. Goodbye, secret. Quinn was the first to approach the couple. She gave Santana a hug and said into her ear.

"Don't worry. It's all right. You protect me and I protect you."

"Thank you, Quinn."

Rachel was the next to hug her sister. Scorpius and Joanna (who was the reserve chaser) started shouting and celebrating the team's victory with the four girls. The rest of the team, except for George Patton, joined the group. Then many of the Slytherins also entered the celebration with the newly caught couple.

...

Lily was in the main courtyard of the castle watching the Slytherin commemoration. She was apprehensive and came to sweat cold when she saw Santana approach to collect the bet.

"You don't have to do that." Melissa Brown held her friend's hand.

"You don't have to!" Rose reinforced. "Lopez wouldn't pay the bet."

"The point is I'm not Lopez."

Santana had a huge grin on her face because of victory, acceptance (at least on the part of many of her housemates), and at that moment she would apply the lord of the trot to one of the girls she considered most annoying in Hogwarts.

"Can we?" Santana pointed to the stone bench.

Lily climbed on top of a stone bench that, at that moment, served as a platform.

"Attention guys. Attention, that our illustrious colleague Lilian Potter has some words to tell us about the great house of Slytherin." Santana announced with a foul grin on her face.

Lily looked at the small crowd and sighed in defeat.

"I, Lilian Potter... declare my love to the great house of Slytherin, where the greatest wizards of Hogwarts dwell. And I recognize the superiority of their Quidditch team…" Another long pause. "Congratulations, Lopez, you made a great match."

At the end of the speech, Lily was surprised by a shower of pumpkin juice mixed with some molasses. Then feathers were thrown against her body. Some of the students laughed like crazy, the other half were perplexed by the additional elements of the trot. Even Santana was surprised, because that wasn't part of the script.

"You really had to lower the level, didn't you, Lopez?" Lily accused her angrily and Santana was unable to respond.

Lily left the courtyard comforted by relatives and friends. She was totally humiliated. Santana wanted to apologize, but as the Slytherins were pulling her into the celebration, she shook her head and pretended to approve of the prank's surprise element.

...

"Make an audition for the new Glee Club?"

Quinn read the sign posted on the notice board of the Slytherin Communal Room. No other student gave importance to the call. In fact, the few girls in the house who noticed the poster, vandalized it.

"Is this Santana's sister thing?" Scorpius asked, trying to sound casual.

"Apparently."

"But doesn't the school have a choir?"

"Don't look at me. I have no idea what's going on in Rachel's mind."

"Mudblood thing, at least." Scorpius said as a test and watched Quinn's reactions. But all it took was a huge estrangement from Quinn. Did he say that? Scorpius was one of the few of the traditional pure-blooded families who had tolerant speech with half-bloods and muggle-born. Not to mention that he was Albus Potter's best friend.

"It must be..." Quinn countered.

"What do you think?"

"Of what?"

"That?" He pointed to the poster.

"It's just Rachel looking for something to do."

Santana joined the pair, curious what they were talking about. Quinn showed her the poster and what it provoked was a laugh in the fake Slytherin.

"What is it?" Scorpius asked. He didn't understand the dynamics between Quinn and Santana in a wait beyond appearances and that confused him, showing that his task would be very complicated.

"Nothing, it's just another crazy thing about my sister. I'm sure it's going to be a flop, but at least I'm going to make some laughs."

Meanwhile, Rachel and Hugo were in the classroom waiting patiently for the willing candidates to audition. She paced back and forth, while Hugo was discouraged, sitting at the piano.

"You put a poster in your communal room, right?" Rachel asked.

"Yes."

"And you talked to your friends?"

"Considering that you are my only friend, apart from my relatives..."

"Oh Hugo! That's it! You need to be more sociable!"

"So tell me what your friends at Hogwarts are besides me?"

"Quinn Fabray, Brittany Pierce..."

"Aren't they your sister's friends?" Hugo grinned. He knew he was right.

Rachel rolled her eyes and waited. Hugo had a point: they were surrounded by people of the same age most of the time at Hogwarts but at the end of the day they had only one another, taking away part of the family. This made her even more cherish the sweet red-haired boy. Rachel smiled, sat down next to Hugo and kissed the boy in the face. They both turned red as pepper.

But the moment was interrupted when they knocked on the door. It was Mercedes Jones.

"Are you guys going to audition for the new Glee Club?"

...

Santana and Quinn were in the stands waiting for the game to start between Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff. They were cheering, of course, for the blue team because of Brittany, Mike and Sonny. But what people were really curious about was the new Hufflepuff team. It was the first game of the new formation and no one had much information about it. The captain of the yellow team did not allow the training to be attended at any time. The pair of beaters was formed by Finn Hudson and Noah Puckerman while Samuel Evans was placed like chaser. The catcher was a new sophomore named Pollux Pine. Another thing that drew attention to Hufflepuff's new lineup: there was no girl. Either the girls in the house had no satisfactory ability, or had no interest in playing, or that was a decision of the captain. It was rare to see a team without girls at Hogwarts.

Before the game, Samuel passed over the stands, waving to fans in yellow. The others did the same. It was a team of stallions, all handsome, who seemed to have been trained to star in some television series. The match began. Brittany, Sonny and Mike showed the mix that they have acquired since the first year of recreational games. It was in a tabulation of the two that the blue team's first goal came out. The well-known tactical discipline of the Ravenclaws and their ability to formulate surprising strategies seemed to knot Hufflepuff, whose game was more like a bunch of flies around the flesh. The first half ended with the humiliating 150 x 10 score. At that rate, the golden snitch would be irrelevant.

But then, chance got the newcomer Pollux Pine to catch the snitch in the first seconds of the second half, making the Hufflepuffs win field winners with the tight 160 x 150 score. The boys left celebrating with the grandstand. Santana, on the other hand, hurried to reach Brittany to comfort her girlfriend. It was an injustice for the Ravenclaws to lose that way. Brittany, Sonny and Mike made an impeccable match.

Another who didn't like the outcome of the game was Al Potter. He couldn't play Quidditch, which didn't mean he didn't enjoy watching the sport. He was a supporter who tracked statistics of the players and favourite teams. On the way out of the small school, he met Scorpius and Rose. The three began to comment.

"It was very unfair." Potter moaned. "They didn't even see the colour of the quaffle!"

"So much mystery to this crap team? Come to think of it, until it makes sense." Scorpius said as he held Rose's hand.

"And where are the girls? I don't understand why Isabel Lawson is not on the team. She was a good chaser."

"They kicked her out." The trio turned to a Hufflepuff girl who heard the comments.

"What do you mean, they kicked her out?" Rose frowned.

"Morty said the only way to keep the dynasty was by building a physically strong team, and that the girls couldn't keep pace. Hence the others supported."

"Son of a bitch." Rose barely contained. "My team will end these guys they won't have a chance even with the golden snitch!"

...

Professor Filius Flitwick was possessed. After decades before the choir, whose members he chose, he never faced the daring of students who organized themselves in a parallel activity with the same purpose. He demanded a meeting with the headmistress and those he called outrageous evil-elements. So, there they were almost curled up in a corner, Rachel, Hugo and Mercedes listening to the teacher spit hornets.

"I even expected something like that from Santana Lopez's sister. But you, Weasley?"

"Granger-Weasley, sir..." He corrected softly and then lowered his head in front of the teacher's poisoned stare.

"With all due respect, Professor." Rachel had a soft voice, to avoid further confrontation. "Although the artistic activities offered at the school are very good, they are somewhat exclusive. Only students in their third year can enroll in these extracurricular activities. I also learned that muggle music was only open for the early years because Professor Schuester changed the rule when he took the place. The classes are great, but they don't meet our artistic needs. So we decided to put together a choir that involves performance, like in Muggle musicals."

"The frog choir is elegant and appropriate!" Flitwick countered. "What you want is anarchy."

"The frog choir is boring!" Rachel countered. "All we want is to be able to sing and dance at least twice a week. Maybe, who knows, if the principal allows, make a presentation or two a year for the students, as all other artistic groups do. It's no big deal."

"I see ..." Minerva sighed. "I even appreciate the idea of the club, Miss Corcoran-Berry, but I can not allow you to meet that way. First, all extracurricular activities developed at this school need to be supervised by a professor. Another requirement is that students from all homes participate."

"So if we arrange a professor to coordinate and at least one Ravenclaw to form a group, can our choir exist?"

"Yes... basically."

Rachel turned to the dwarf teacher as if she were the most humble person in the world.

"Professor Flitwick..."

"The answer is no, Miss Corcoran-Berry."

Flitwick turned away and left the room. Minerva gave a nice little smile to the students before dismissing them.

"What now?" Mercedes whined, already outside the principal's office. "Looks like it's the end, guys. It was fun talking to you both."

Talk? Rachel thought about the irony, because all she did was discuss with Mercedes since the Gryffindor asked the group. Slytherin sighed. Then she heard someone whistle. It was Schuester who was going to meet the students in the hallway. Rachel understood that as a sign.

"Professor!" She ran to him. "Would you like to hear a great idea?"

...

Finn Hudson didn't accept Hufflepuff's massive defeat for the Slytherin team. Santana seemed to be particularly inspired by the game, just as Quinn, already more relaxed after the incredible outcome of the first game, left the opponent catcher in the slipper. Result: the green team won by 290 x 0 in 71 minutes. Santana scored nine goals, and each time she succeeded, she made a point of provoking.

"You cheated!" Finn, with wounded pride, followed Santana to the side entrance of the castle. "You made fouls before the goals."

"What if I did? Don't you think Professor Puttus shouldn't have scored? As he didn't whistle, it was clean!"

Not so much. Santana made a foul before scoring the third goal and the referee didn't see it. Even if the referee had overturned the play, it wouldn't change the outcome of the game: the Slytherins would still have been winners.

"How can you live with yourself?" Finn insisted on the provocation.

"Shut up, Hudson." Netunus Black was one of the next players who was getting impatient with Hufflepuff's insistence.

"All you get is the basis of cheating. All you do is to destroy someone!"

"And what I did to you bother me so much?" Santana stared at the boy, leaving the others apprehensive. "Talk Hudson, what have I done to you besides being better at anything you can possibly do?"

"San..." Quinn tried to pull her friend away. "Leave that guy there."

"No, Quinn, I want to know what I did for this idiot to bother me so much." She turned her attention back to Finn. "By chance you're hurt because you fell into one of my pranks? Come on, Hudson, I left you with double your weight like a prophecy. Look at you now? He's Erumpent himself!"

"You really don't know?"

"No, Hudson, I don't know."

"You sabotaged the portion that was the remedy of my owl. Because of this, she died. Gia served my family for 15 years and died because you decided to be a selfish scrotum."

"I never..." That confused Santana. True, she practiced bullying against many students at Hogwarts, but sabotaging another's part was something that never occurred to her.

"You filthy dyke mudblood scum!" Finn raged. "Stupefy!"

Santana defended herself with unusual dexterity and counterattacked.

"Impedimenta!"

The spell was applied with perfection, throwing the big body of Finn to meters from there. Not wanting to wait for the reaction from the other classmates who were nearby, Santana pushed the students in front of her and walked away from the small crowd as fast as possible.

Santana had a long list of trotting past the Gryffindors table explosion. She made Finn bend over, her legs limp and her brain confused. In fact, Finn was her favourite victim because all attempts at his return were defended. Santana also made Samuel's hair grow to his feet, causing disgusting pimples on Analise Becker's face, at the time in the fifth year. She squeezed the bottom of Rose's shoes, put cat poop beneath the Hufflepuffs table. She put a mop in Professor Longbottom's chair after he scolded her at the front of the class, left Professor Schuester with blue skin (because it was too easy to mess with a squib), and dropped pixies into one of the Ravenclaw classes. Yes, she sabotaged a portion only once when, during a class together with the Gryffindors, when she altered the ingredients that made Lily's portion explode, leaving her with all black face and hard hair up.

Her sophomore year was quieter, considering she had passed half her punishment and was barred from practicing Quidditch. All she did in that third year was basically defending herself from attempts at trotting or direct confrontation. It was a fact that Santana built a bad reputation and she was reaping the consequences of those actions. She knew it would be like this for a while. That's why she felt the need to prepare herself.

But Finn's accusation, however foolish and misleading, left her very ill. She herself had an owl and sometimes she preferred the company of animals rather than people. Especially when she was at home and she had to tolerate her stepmother and her stepbrother. Amber Nox, whenever she could, tried to diminish Santana by being half-blood. If the woman knew about her step-daughter's sexuality, she could say things even worse. It was no wonder that Santana exiled herself to Brittany's house when she wasn't in New York.

Being called half-blood didn't affect her anymore. Santana was what she was. She learned to accept her Muggle mother in front of her fellow Slytherins. Being called a dyke was unexpected because she hadn't found any Hogwarts fellows who had cursed her using her sexuality.

But the worst was to be accused of killing someone's pet at Hogwarts. Students could imply with the pets of others. Young people had a strange cruelty within them, especially the younger boys. On the other hand, being accused of killing a pet was very, very bad. It was as if the person had a permanent tattoo on its forehead.

"Lopez?"

Santana heard Al Potter's voice approaching. She looked out the window of the black tower and had barely noticed that it was getting dark. She was tempted to pick up her broom and fly out the window, but decided otherwise. Quickly she wiped her tears, got up, and held her wand. She waited for him to approach.

She was surprised when she saw that Potter had Rachel's company.

"Hey, you're there..." Rachel hugged her. "I've been looking all over this castle for you."

"I wasn't about to stand in front of a lot of people accusing me of something I didn't do." Santana looked directly at Al Potter, to make her point clear.

"But you used impedimenta against Hudson." The Gryffindor pondered. "It's an advanced spell for your age."

"Hudson attacked me first!"

"That's not the point, Lopez."

"Hey!" Rachel shouted. "I asked you to help find my sister because somehow you can find anyone in this castle."

"OK sorry."

"Look, Rach." Santana took her sister's shoulder, looking into her eyes, to assure her she meant it. "I'm not a saint and I don't even dream to be one. But Hudson's accusation is totally fake. Whoever did this to him accused me because it's easy. Any idiot would believe that I'm automatically guilty of everything that happens at this school."

"I believe you," Rachel said firmly.

"Merlin forgive me, but so do I." Al Potter picked up his wand. "Santana, sorry, but you need to come with me. You need to make some clarifications. "

"Said the prefect of Gryffindor." Santana sighed. "Let me ask you something, Potter, if it were any other student, would he have to give clarification about this incident?"

"I'm afraid so. You quarreled in front of a small crowd."

"Get it over with, San." Rachel took her sister's hand. "You're innocent, so go with him. I follow you."

Santana accepted the proposal and followed Al Potter. The three of them went to the director's office and Santana sat down in front of adults who were not making receptive expressions. It was as if they were looking at Voldemort's reincarnation, as rumour has it.

"Miss Lopez..."

"I didn't kill any owls! I swear!" Santana fired before Minerva could say anything. "The only time I sabotaged a portion was to blow it up in Lily Potter's face. That was in the middle of class and nobody was hurt."

The adults looked at each other and did not resist. They began to laugh at the absurdity of confession. It was also a way to relieve attention before getting into the subject that really mattered. Minerva was the first to regain her composure.

"Miss Lopez, we are not accusing you of anything, but there are numerous witnesses in the quarrel that you became involved with Mr. Finn Hudson."

"He accused me of playing dirty because his team took a beating on the field. Pure elbow pain. I was very well going my way, but he attacked me first."

"About that, she's telling the truth, Professor." Al Potter assured her. "Rose saw everything. Hudson attacked her first."

"Yes, she said... but what brings you here, Miss Lopez, besides the fight you shouldn't be involved in is knowing how you used an impedimenta, which is taught in the Defense Against Dark Arts class only for students from the fifth year?"

"I learned alone." Santana said in a low, low voice.

"As?"

"Training."

"With whom?"

"Alone."

"Why would you train advanced spells alone, Miss Lopez?"

"Because I can do them... and because it's necessary when three-quarters of the school wants to see my skull."

Miranda sighed in dismay and sat down in the chair. She felt exhausted. That is why she would retire soon. Another year and goodbye Hogwarts. Minerva exchanged glances with Neville and then with Flitwick. Santana made a lot of mistakes, but they were also aware that Hogwarts could be a very tough school for some of the students. Small fights and duels happened every day and it was as if it had already been naturalized in the routine. However, it was Santana who was there serving as a solitary example for the rest. Until when was that fair? Santana was born under certain conditions, was a candidate to be part of a prophecy and gave more and more examples that she was a special witch. Miranda couldn't let her out of her radar for a second. It wasn't just the Order of the Phoenix that had an interest in it. There was Dumbledore's Army (allies of the Order), the Ministry of Magic, and the groups of the ancient Death Eaters, who were quiet but not extinct.

"Your visiting rights to Hogsmeade are suspended for a month," Minerva stated.

"But ... professor..."

"It's settled, Miss Lopez."

"Okay." Santana cocked her head for a second until she decided to face the professor in a way she had never done before. "Hudson was also punished for starting the fight? Or is this just another double standard chance?"

"There are no preferences, Miss Lopez," Minerva replied bureaucratically.

"So Golden Boy wasn't punished. He attacked my heredity, attacked my sexuality, but purebred white boy from the house of the kind couldn't do anything wrong. Different from a person like me, right? Because I'm a Slytherin, from a migrant family, a woman, a gay woman, a mixed-blood woman and a troublemaker, right?"

The prosecution hit the professors right in the stomach. Finn Hudson hadn't been punished. In fact, he was treated as a victim because everyone simply accepted that Santana Lopez was a bad person. They weren't doing the right job. Worse, they were failing the mission.

...

Professor Schuester sighed as he saw the students he had managed to recruit for the new Muggle music choir. There were Rachel Corcoran-Berry, the self-declared captain, Mercedes Jones, Kurt Hummel and Blaine Anderson, as well as Hugo Granger-Weasley at the piano. Neither of the four could understand. Rachel and Mercedes were great singers, despite their young age, but they fight the spotlight all the time. Kurt wanted to imitate Barbra Streisand. Blaine had a beautiful voice, but since it was in the process of change because of puberty, it was difficult to tame.

"That's no way!" Rachel snarled after another frustrated attempt to harmonize her vocals. "We need male voices that can sustain the tone for more than five seconds. Mercedes, singing is not screaming! Achieving high marks doesn't mean singing in the last volume."

"Rachel!" Schuester called attention. "That's not the way things are done. Our glee club is a teamwork. It is you who lean on what each one has the best to form a rapturous unity. You must learn to be one heart."

"Are you really going to use that pep talk?" Mercedes snapped. "Sorry, but either you control the little Slytherin diva, or the Gryffindor here will tear her tongue out."

"Enough!" Schuester was regretting accepting the show. "We need to remember that we still need a Ravenclaw, or that activity will close the doors. If we want to attract more people, especially a Ravenclaw, we have to do it right. This fight will not help anyone! "

Rachel snorted from one side. Mercedes snorted from another. The four members looked at each other. The teacher had a point.

"Okay," Rachel mused. "Let's try again."

Schuester signaled to Hugo, who started playing I Will Survive. The music couldn't be more appropriate.

Rachel left class a little more pleased with the group's score. But there were still other things to worry about because the choir had deadlines. If she didn't get a new Ravenclaw member by the end of that month, the glee club would be disabled. Rachel walked with Hugo to the main hall of the school. Hugo, as it had become habit, kissed him on the cheek as she said good-bye.

"Don't go."

"What?" Hugo was confused.

"You are my friend. My best friend, I would say. Why don't you come and have dinner with me at my table?"

"You say... with Slytherins?" Hugo sweated cold. He looked at the table of the worst-known house in history. At that hour the table was empty, but the most fearsome person sat there reading the Daily Prophet.

"She doesn't bite." Rachel took Hugo's hand and pulled him to her table. "Hey, San."

Santana looked at her sister disinterestedly at first. Until you noticed that Hugo Granger-Weasley was with Rachel.

"Hey. What's the redhead kid doing here?"

"He is my friend. Friends from other houses are allowed, okay?"

"He belongs to that family."

"Stop being an idiot, San." Rachel sat next to her sister and pulled Hugo, who seemed to be looking for a hole to stick his head in, not to mention his face was almost as red as his hair.

"Why are you always reading the newspaper at dinner time?" The boy had the courage to ask. But it is that the habit of the false Slytherin has always caught his attention. One can say that his curiosity was greater than fear.

"That's when I have time." Santana tried to flinch. "By the way, your aunt's articles are very good." Santana spoke to Hugo without looking at him. "She only said truth in her last review about Pride." Ginny Potter had criticized the directors because of the crisis over Pride of Portree. The team made a championship below the expected, despite the hiring of two players that cost a fortune.

"Thank you." Hugo was so embarrassed that he could barely move.

"You can breathe, Weasley, I won't bite you." Santana threw the newspaper on the table and picked up a piece of turkey that had just been served.

The Daily Prophet had as cover story the concerns of the Ministry of Magic with the growing conservative wave around the world as much between the magic people as among the muggles. But this wasn't a subject that would hold the attention of teenagers at that age. Santana was 13 and Rachel would be 12 in a few weeks. They had other concerns. Things, like romance.

Brittany came to the Slytherin table. Her presence was frequent. The Ravenclaw kissed Santana on the cheek and sat down next to her.

"Hey Rachy! I didn't know you had friends."

"Of course I have friends." Rachel rolled her eyes and chuckled at the two older girls. "What?"

"Nothing." Santana exchanged complacent glances with her girlfriend.

"I hate this school!" Sugar sat at the table in front of her friends. Her hair was messy and her face was tired.

"Trying to do that portion again?" Santana asked.

"It's complex."

"It's part of the second grade program, Sugar." Santana continued to dine quietly.

"It's hard, okay?" Sugar grimaced at Santana and turned her attention back to the different element on the table. "Rachel made friends with a Weasley? That's weird! Weasleys are odd. They have that red hair too. I bet it's tincture!"

"Guys, Hugo is here," Rachel complained.

"Well, Rach..." Hugo stood up, unable to bear the situation any longer. "It was fun but I think I'll..." He pointed to the Hufflepuffs table and practically ran in that direction.

"He lasted five minutes with us," Santana said before taking some pumpkin juice. "I must admit the boy has guts. I approve of your boyfriend, Rach."

"Hugo is not..." Rachel blushed. "We are friends and partners."

"Partners that kiss in the lips?" Brittany asked. "Santana and I are kissing friends too."

"No... God!" Rachel shook her head. "Hugo and I are responsible for the new choir. You should have seen the new posters. Anyway, Schuester is our director, but for our choir to exist it's necessary to have at least one student from each house. Hogwarts rules."

"What's missing to you?" Brittany asked.

"A Ravenclaw."

...

"What did Brittany say?" Quinn held the quaffle thrown by Santana during warm-up before the game against Ravenclaw.

"That you're going to attend a rehearsal before deciding whether or not to join my sister's wacky choir." It was Santana's turn to receive Quinn's quaffle.

"Sounds reasonable enough to me." Quinn gripped the quaffle again.

"I don't know. Brittany is kind of flippant. I mean, she's smart or she wouldn't be a Ravenclaw. But you know that house has geniuses and freaks in the same proportion."

"So you admit that your girlfriend is kind of crazy?" Quinn smiled.

"Kind of" Santana frowned.

"What's it?"

"It's weird to say this: my girlfriend. I haven't gotten used to it yet."

"You've always been best friends."

"I think so."

"How are you feeling?"

"Fine?"

"We're going to play against Brittany for the first time on a Quidditch pitch."

"I'll play to win, as always."

The Slytherins won by 150 x 0: Quinn took the golden snitch two minutes into the game.

...

Brittany sat in the front chair as an honoured guest, while the four stooges forced smiles before the performance began. Hugo was already at the piano and Schuester was making an introduction about the chorus in which Brittany did not understand half the words. After all, she understood numbers more than words. The truth is that that situation was reversed from the beginning. It was humiliating for any choir to make performances with the purpose of asking for adhesions (the right word is to beg).

"... then with you ..." Schuester paused for a few seconds. The choir didn't even have a name. "... muggle glee dance sing and everything!"

Rachel started the first solo. She made a diva pose and a caricatured expression. Mercedes took the next step, bumping into Rachel, but without a megaton smile. They took turns, as in a disastrous duet in which, on each line, one seemed to want to obfuscate the other in the presence as well as vocally. Meanwhile, Blaine and Kurt did a little dance to leave a proud door, waiting for the time to enter to harmonize with the girls.

In the middle of the chorus, Kurt blurted out. He was embarrassed and covered his mouth with his hands. Blaine forgot the rest of the performance to comfort his best friend. Meanwhile, Rachel and Mercedes continued to challenge each other. Hugo was worried, seeing the madness that performance had become, and thinking that the last rehearsal was almost decent. Almost at the end of the song, Rachel takes a ballet step, raising her legs and hitting Mercedes's face.

"Your bitch!" Mercedes forgot the performance and jumped on Rachel's neck.

They both started screaming on the floor. The professor was trying to separate them without being much hit (this was the disadvantage of being a Squib), Kurt hugged Blaine, making a horrified face and gave even a shriek. Hugo finished playing the song and, as it was combined, conjured up a fireworks effect.

Amidst the hysterical shout, all of a sudden, the sound of lonely palms. The choir stopped the fight for a moment to see Brittany with a huge smile, clapping her feet.

"Beautiful, beautiful ... this is so much fun!"

"Wait… what?" Hugo was amazed. "Did you like it?"

"Loved it! I accept to get in the choir!"

...

It was snowing a lot, all outdoor activities were suspended until the weather became milder. Even visits to Hogsmeade were suspended in the tempestuous January. It was the worst winter of the last ten years and not even all the magic in the world could stop global warming caused mainly by Muggles actions.

Samuel was bored. Just like most of the school's students. He had no patience for wizard chess matches, one of a few extracurricular activities he did was Quidditch, and also passed away from the library. In the third year of Hogwarts, he showed his classmates that he wasn't the smartest in the class (he was lazy for many things), but he was still a wizard of unmatched ability. He was, of course, one of the vainest. At the age of thirteen, he worried about changing his body, making him broader and stronger, using portions on his hair to make him look more blond, and worried about what he wore. He didn't do the rich boy style, but he wanted to be sure that his pants were millimeterly dented and dirty. Samuel was beginning to make many girls sigh, and some boys too, like Kurt Hummel. But Samuel only seemed to have eyes for one girl at Hogwarts: Quinn Fabray. She was his greatest obsession.

He went to the library because he knew Quinn would be there. It was one of the few places she frequented without Santana Lopez's company. Samuel sat on the end of the same table Quinn was and watched her read. He waited a few minutes pretending to read until he had the courage to go talk to the Slytherin girl.

"Hello, Fabray," Samuel said quietly, as he handed the place's label.

"Evans," Quinn answered coolly.

"So you're going to take on the Ravenclaws again in the final games."

Quinn looked at her colleague with her infamous raised eyebrow.

"With so much going on at this school and you only know how to speak Quidditch?"

The boy was puzzled. He looked sideways, thinking all eyes were on him, but the rest of the students in the library, mostly Ravenclaws, had little connection to the frustrated interaction.

"What do you like to talk about?"

"About a lot of things," Quinn replied, still serious. "Especially when I'm out of the library."

"Oh... would you like to leave the library?"

"Get out," Quinn said without looking at the boy.

Disconcerted by her rejection, Samuel left the library. He met Finn and Puck, who were passing by.

"What the hell is this, Sam?" Finn asked.

"Girls..." Samuel grunted.

"Who rejected you?" Puck was curious.

"Fabray... again."

"Get out of this, dude." Puck hit his friend's back. "You give too much leash for this girl. The move is to get one and get right to the point." He flexed his arm to bring out the biceps. "Show your guns that in five minutes you'll be in a corner of this castle giving a deal on her breasts. With any luck, she takes off her panties and lets you put it in."

"I don't know." Samuel was annoyed. "I guess I'd rather wait to do the right girl."

"Fabray?" Puck laughed. "Listen to what I say. You can even go after her, but you can get some practice with others too, if you understand me."

"Practice with who?"

"You're handsome, Sam. I'm sure you can get any girl. Why don't you try, I don't know, Lily Potter?" He pointed to the redhead who was nearby, talking to Melissa and another Hufflepuff girl. "Imagine how awesome would be if you deflower a Potter? You will become a legend!"

"I don't know..." Samuel was uncertain. Lily was pretty and a nice girl, but who never noticed that he existed. She was someone very far from his fellowship.

"Ah, then get some. How about Larson? She's not that bad."

As he listened to their friends' conversation, Finn thought seriously about it, after all, the desire to masturbate in the shower was daily. He thinks about sex too. Pornography and prostitution in the wizarding world was clandestine. But muggles would sell sex anywhere at any time. It was an exciting world for 13-year-old brats. A fifth year Hufflepuff gave the third year boys a pornographic muggle magazine, with photos of naked women and sex. The man's face would not even appear, but the woman was always copulating, sucking a penis or doing any other sex thing. Her face and breasts were always in evidence, and the girl made an expression that Finn couldn't describe, but which attracted him. He imagined doing that someday with someone. More specifically with Lily Potter. The magazine was more viewed among the Hufflepuff boys than any book in that school.

Finn listened to the boys' stories. Of the girls who managed to kiss and how far they could get with them. Puck said he had sex with a fourth-year-old Slytherin girl and boasted that she was the first of the boys in that class to lose their virginity. Finn was envious of Puck for being able to seduce the girls with the naturalness of what he would like to have. The truth is that he didn't yet have the nimbleness and courage to approach the girls. At least not for now.

...

Puckerman was the Hufflepuff closest to the Slytherins. Or some of the Slytherins. He came from a pureblood but poor family, just like other wizards like Samuel Evans. They were excluded or disregarded by some of the more snobbish students, but managed to reverse such rejection by forming a secret society promoting dirty parties within Hogwarts or Hogsmeade. They sent invitations to students hours before the party was held. The students in the select group received the information of the place and time and had the right to take a guest.

The party had butterbeer, some food and music exclusively from wizarding band. It was at one of those parties that Puckerman had his first sexual experience at the age of 13, and he wanted his friends to go through it as well.

"Miranda Larson." Puckerman pointed to the girl dancing with a colleague. She was visibly intoxicated. "It's ready. Who goes there?"

"She's drunk!" Finn was curious about having a sexual relationship, but also a high sense of honour.

"Better yet!" Puckerman smirked. "Hudson, my comrade, it is better this way: they leave and they don't stand on your foot afterwards. Let's make things easier. Let's play the game of spinning the bottle and you'll be able to keep it."

The "joke" was announced when half of the boys who attended that party were already gone. With less people, it was easier to control the situation. The older boys dictated the rules and a group of them with more loose girls due to alcohol got into the wheel. Samuel, Finn, and Puckerman were the youngest boys, while Miranda Larson was the youngest girl on the circle.

Finn turned the bottle and received as a couple a fifth-year student. She knew what she was doing. Finn was another story. The experience of kissing a girl and still touching her breasts for the first time made him horny and wet. He ran out of shame and determined not to participate in such a game.

Samuel was another story. He did it, and Miranda Larson was too drunk to understand what she was doing.

...

Al Potter closely followed the steps that had the name of Santana Lopez on the marauders map. She walked alone in the corridors, and suddenly her name disappeared from the castle.

"I got you!" He smiled.

He put the marauders map inside his coat and walked to the wing where Santana was. Obviously, he found no door before the space of the room needs. The place got to be known because of Dumbledore's Army, but after that class left school, the room needs to become a legend among most of the current Hogwarts students. Al Potter stood in front of the wall and ordered to go where Santana was. A simple door was revealed, and he entered immediately.

Al Potter flagged Santana as she sat on the floor in an Indian position as she read a book. The wand was beside her, well within reach of the hand. There was nothing in the room but magic mannequins and a sort of closet. Upon realizing the presence of a stranger, Santana rose in the blink of an eye already prepared to attack or defend herself.

"What are you doing here?" She asked scared.

"I should ask what are you doing here?" Al Potter didn't arm himself. Instead, he held up both hands. "Is it by chance that you do such mysterious drills?"

Santana remained in the same position, without answering, she was confused. She didn't know if she could trust Al Potter. As much as he'd been cool with her the day he fought with Finn Hudson, he wasn't a friend… yet.

"I didn't come here to fight you, Lopez. You have my word of honour." Potter insisted.

Santana hesitated, but ended up lowering her wand.

"Just the fact that you have found this room shows how smart you are. I can count on the fingers of a single hand the students who know the precise room. How did you find it?"

"Will it make a difference?"

"Not so much. I'm just curious."

"My father told me about Hogwarts' seven secret tunnels and a room that vanished and appeared like magic. I found two tunnels, but they were clogged. But this room appeared to me by chance last year."

"By chance?"

"I was running with a stomach ache and suddenly there was a door that had a bathroom." Al Potter started laughing at the absurdity of the situation. Was it a tummy ache that revealed one of the castle's biggest and best secrets?

"It can't be!" Potter sat on the floor, making Santana relax.

"Don't laugh."

"At least it was a nice bathroom?"

"It was a toilet... and the toilet paper was awful!" That made Al Potter laugh louder. That room had humour. He didn't even care about the tone of his voice because he knew full well that they couldn't be heard, no matter how loud they screamed. "Don't laugh..."

"I'm trying, but it's hard!"

"Okay ..." Santana sat on the floor and admitted it was rather funny.

"So you figured this was the room just because of a bathroom?" Potter asked after he calmed down.

"I still took some time to understand what this room was like. I started using it for real this year."

"You didn't tell anyone? Not for your friends or for your sister? "

"No."

"Why?"

"I needed to have my own space."

"Is this where you practice advanced spells?" Al Potter pointed to the mannequin.

"Basically. I used to practice in the black tower."

"Alone?" Santana nodded and Potter was disbelieving for a moment. "That's incredible, Lopez, really. My father trained Dumbledore's Army in this same room, but he got help from other people to learn everything. You, from what I see, don't need anyone."

"I need someone," Santana confessed. "Most of the time I don't know what to do and I end up getting some purples by the body when the spells ricochet."

"Still, it's amazing! Just the fact that you have applied an impedimenta to perfection already closes the case." Upon seeing the silence of the false Slytherin, Al Potter tries another approach. "I can help you practice."

"What?"

"How about once a week? We meet here and I'll help you practice defence spells."

"What will you want in return?" Santana could feel some sincerity in Potter, but still couldn't trust him.

"Santana, I don't want anything in return. In fact, I lied, I want something. Only one that can't be broken at all."

"What is?"

"Let this be a space free from lies. Every time we practice, you have to be honest with me about what you are feeling. I don't want details of your life, if that's what you're thinking, and I will not even be behind you at school. In fact, you don't even need to talk to me in front of other people if you don't want it. But every time we walk into this room, we have to trust each other." He held out his hand to Santana. "Done?"

"Done." Santana took Al Potter's hand.

"So... what were you reading?"

"How to cast a Patronus."

...

It was the final game. In one of the semifinals Slytherin defeated Ravenclaw in a very disputed game that finished in the regulation time of four hours. Santana and Brittany disagreed in the field during the match and spent a week without talking with each other. Substitution by tactical change, player expelled, doubtful bidding, dozens of fouls, impossible defenses, extraordinary goals, girlfriend fight, no golden snitch: everything happened. At the end, 260 x 240 for Slytherin.

In the other semi-final, Gryffindor had no trouble defeating Hufflepuff. Rose caught the golden snitch early in the first half of the game, enacting the failure of the new team in yellow. 170 x 0 for Gryffindor.

The red team and the green team were the best in the school at that moment, and they were about to decide the cup. For James it was the last chance to say goodbye to Hogwarts winning the cup, just like his father and his uncles. For Scorpius, it was an opportunity to show the school and the house itself that it was possible to mount in Slytherin a winning and honest team. They played hard in a few moments, they broke their heads in others, they fought, but no one could accuse the green team of playing dirty that season.

Santana was farther away from the rest of the team. She was concentrating on everything she should do in the game. She relaxed her arms, stretched her neck, tested the protections. She fixed her green shirt with the number '5' stamped.

"Nervous?"

Santana looked sideways as Lily approached with the Gryffindor shirt number 6, as it was Ginny Potter's.

"I won't expose myself to the enemy."

"I will," Lily confessed. "My parents are in the stands. My mother will write about this final in her column. So I'm nervous."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"Because, despite my nervousness, there is one thing that would bring me extra motivation. I'm sure the feeling will be mutual."

"Do you want revenge?"

"I want revenge, Santana Lopez. I want more revenge than winning the cup. I want to see you declaim all love for the great house of Gryffindor. I want you to kiss my feet in front of everyone and then take a molasses shower and have feathers attached to your body. I spent five months trying to stay as far away as possible from you just to make this moment even more palatable!"

"Okay, I can think of something for you to do when Slytherin wins. Maybe you can be my slave for, I don't know, a week? "

"Slave?"

"Do you know? Having to wait for me at the door of the Slytherin communal room every morning to carry my things, serve my meals, organize my things, massage my feet ... I'm creative, Potter, I can think of interesting things."

"Done." The two sealed the bet with a brief handshake. Lily went on to join the rest of the team, already in line.

Santana followed her and did the same on the green side. James and Scorpius, as captains, were the first to enter the field, followed by all others. The final set of Hogwarts cups used to receive more guests in the stands, such as former teachers, scouts of professional teams, parents of students. Journalists covered the most important match of the school year of the United Kingdom, there was wizard radio broadcast. It was a joy.

Teams were lined up in their fields. The balls were launched and Rose fired into the Slytherins field. Quinn didn't want to know about the chess game and flight accompanying the opponent, not to try to catch snitch, but to make her lose sight of the ball. The thump almost knocked over both of the broom. Warning to the Slytherins. Santana greeted her friend and soon focused on marking the Greno's attack. Lily was with the quaffle and tried to dribble Netunus. After the game, the ball dropped to Ezra Goyle, who smashed it into the top corner. George recovered to the green team, flying at high speed to take advantage of the disorganization of the red defence. At the time of throwing for the goal, James rebounded, but Santana was in the left, recovered the quaffle and opened the score for Slytherin.

Quinn saw the snitch. Rose was relatively close, but she decided to shoot anyway. Rose managed to pair, but Quinn had little advantage she reached out, but it was Rose's turn to bump into her. The snitch escaped. The judge scored nothing because Rose's stunt was less ostentatious and considered legal.

Meanwhile, in the game between chasers and beaters, the balance reigned. James, despite taking a goal, played his best match. The same could be said of Scorpius. At the end of the first half, the Goyle brothers managed to corner Bail, the quaffle fell into the hands of George, who was a better defender and scorer. He threw and James couldn't hold it. 20 x 0.

The commentators were surprised by the low score. On the other hand, the game was buzzing and well played. It wasn't possible to predict the winner.

"We need more speed." Scorpius talked to his players. "Our combined moves aren't coming out because we're slow!"

"With all due respect, Captain." Netunus commented. "But their defence is killing us."

"They're doing the same line of defence as the Ravenclaws," Quinn remarked. "They are leaving Santana alone, but concentrating two on top of Netunus because he is the one who begins everything."

Scorpius used the minute of his remaining interval and decided to take Netunus, putting Joanna Thompson in place. The uncertainty of the new tactical scheme worked and left the game more open. Santana scored two goals in a row, extending the score to 40 x 0. But Lily, in a move she couldn't even say was luck or talent, jumped from her broom, past Scorpius, and scored the first goal for Gryffindor.

"Accio!" She shouted in the fall for her broom, but without the wand it was complicated to channel.

Suddenly someone grabbed her by the clothes, avoiding the fall. Santana left her on the lawn in no smooth way, but it was better than the free fall. Lily was left with her uniform torn from the grip that had saved her. She didn't care. She ran to her broom and returned to the game in time to see Joanna score for Slytherin. 50 x 10. The rows were recomposed. Lily managed to intercept a pass and took advantage of the space to dial again. She celebrated next to the red crowd. 50 x 20. But Santana took advantage of that Lily delayed to return to the position and made an individual throw. 60 x 20. End of second half.

"I hope you enjoy cleaning owl cage," Santana said as she passed Lily.

"It's not working!" Lily snarled as the team gathered for water. "It's hard to stick to the defence."

"Our triangulations are not working at all," Rose mused. "We have to make changes, James."

James looked at the reservations bank. The big problem at Gryffindor was that it's bench was weak compared to the starting team. On the other hand, it was necessary to change and risk.

"Blaine's in, Tiya's out."

The second-year boy widened his eyes. He spent the whole season just training without being used in the game. He had never dreamed of entering the grand finale.

"Let's do this: the chasers need to change position and the beaters have to play more centralized. I know this will make the arcs more exposed, but it will get more complicated for them to score. Lily, you're sticking with Santana. Bail stays with Joanna. Blaine's in plenty."

The team got on the brooms and returned to the third time. Lily started to play on the same side as Santana positioned herself, which meant that their clash would worsen. To make the game even more dramatic, it began to rain. In the first move, Lily and Santana collapsed. Foul by Gryffindor. The replacement was quick and Joanna scored. But the Gryffindor strategy started working. Playing more open at the sides, the team made it difficult to score and still benefited from the rain. Lily made a long pass to Blaine, who scored his first goal. 70 x 30. In the next move, after a defence of James, the movement was repeated from Blaine to Bail, who scored. Gryffindor leaned against the board. 70 x 40.

Every time Santana fired for the attack, Lily went with her in a hard marking. They didn't say anything to each other because of high concentration. Santana didn't even provoke the opponent. Impatiently, Santana lost a pass as the quaffle slid out of her hand. Lily took the leftover and fired the counterattack. 70 x 50. There was another shot. But this time it was with Rose up. Quinn was far away, but the speed of her firebolt managed to make her almost even. They were getting higher. Rose kept her eyes on the snitch, Quinn felt the broom fail at altitude. Her ear was buzzing because of the pressure. The rain intensified. Quinn looked down. They were absurdly high. Quinn's glasses fogged with ice. But Rose, feeling the same effects, continued. They entered the rain cloud and disappeared. In the field, much lower, the water falls in a torrential way. The players could barely see. A bludger blasted Joanna's broom, and Blaine slammed into one of the towers of the bleachers. Meanwhile, the seekers kept going high. Quinn's broomstick failed and she faltered. She gave up and decided to go down before she was struck by lightning. In this second, Rose picked up the snitch.

The flight of the Gryffindor seeker was triumphant. The crowd cheered with the new champions. End game. 200 x 70 for the home of the brave in one of the best games of the season. Rose was cheered, loaded by her teammates. James would say goodbye to Hogwarts with a champion title.

...

Santana was sitting in the main courtyard of the castle next to Quinn, Rachel and Brittany. They were watching the party while Santana waited for the sentence of humiliation. She wanted to ignore the bet, but she had within herself the terrible need to keep the word. The crowd approached. A lot bigger than when Slytherin won the first game.

Brittany took her girlfriend's hand and walked away. But Quinn and Rachel remained side by side with Santana. They stood face to face with Lily and the rest of the entire team. Santana tried to put a sly smile on her face.

"What do you have for me, Potter?"

"Could you, please, stretch your arm?"

Santana did the order and Lily, with all satisfaction of the world, made a tattoo with the writings: "Property of Lily Potter". She winked at Santana and smiled.

"Don't worry, the tattoo will come out after a few weeks… I guess. Now if you don't mind, we'd like to hear your beautiful voice declaring all love for Gryffindor and I hope you enjoy your bath after that."

...

"I don't know what Santana is, but she doesn't look anything like a dark lord." Al Potter argued with Neville, Padma, Miranda, Harry, Ginny, Hermione and Ron. The two couples went to Hogwarts to honour the housetops.

"How can you be sure?" Neville asked.

"She's difficult to deal with, only I approached her and I can say that Santana is a badass, but not a bad person. She made many enemies because she tried to impose herself in the worst possible way in her first year. Santana is also tough and incredibly powerful. Dad, she conjures up a perfect patronus!"

"Patronus? With a shape? "Hermione asked.

"Yes aunt. With a shape. It's a hippogriff."

"Interesting... The shape of the patronus says a lot about personality."

"What about the others?" Harry asked the boys.

"I tried to get closer to Larson," Scorpius reported. "But it's very closed. It is very difficult to know what she thinks, her plans. It was particularly closed for a few weeks. As if something relevant had happened to her."

"Can you tell what it was?" Neville asked.

"I have no idea, sir."

"This is a problem!" Hermione analysed. "Larson may already be suffering harassment from the other side, but since she is alone, she will hardly be able to vent it. Help may come too late."

"What about the others?" Harry asked.

"They're 13-year-old hormonal kids who just want to know about picking up girls. I know Evans has a crush on Quinn, but she doesn't want anything to do with him." Scorpius explained.

"It sounds like a vicious cycle," Ron quipped.

"You can't imagine!" Neville rolled his eyes. "Having to deal with these teenagers every day is a tough job."

"Thank you boys." Harry smiled at his son and his best friend.

At that time, the adults felt comfortable discussing the candidates. Hermione began to take notes in a notebook.

"If Miss Lopez's patronus is a hippogriff..." Hermione began to analyse. "It means that her essence is noble but proud. Hippogriffs are also loyal and protective. What is Miss Lopez's wand?"

"Ebon with dragon core," Neville replied.

"Ebony is a wand for strong and convinced people in their ideals. It is also perfect for duelists. The profile fits. It's a combination of personality that makes Miss Lopez a very powerful ally, maybe even the champion we're after."

"But she can also turn to the dark," Neville concluded.

"It's possible," Hermione agreed. "One way or another, we can't lose someone with this profile in the coming war."

"Miss Fabray worries me," Minerva confided. "She's not one of our candidates, but it's assumed the other side doesn't know that. I'm afraid for this young lady's fate."

"The solution is one, Minerva. Trying to bring her to our side," Harry said. "Unfortunately I'm afraid this is not a task for us. Young people relate to young people. Miss Fabray is Santana Lopez's best friend. If Santana stays on the right track, there's a good chance Quinn will do the same."

"About the boys, did not you see anything other than the boiling hormones?" Hermione questioned.

"I can talk about Hudson, because I'm his closest teacher," Neville replied. "He is an insecure and immature young man, but I believe his heart is in the right place. Sonny and Mike are normal kids. There is nothing extraordinary about them and I don't think they are even the ones we are looking for. Already Evans is a peacock. He is not intelligent, he is easy to be carried away and has that arrogance ... this vanity ... I confess that until last year I was convinced that Santana was the lord of the darkness. Today she's still my main suspect, but Mr. Evans can't be ignored."

"And Lily?" Hermione asked. "Has she approached anyone?"

"She and Lopez were antagonistic to Quidditch."

Hermione thought about the scenario and looked at the notes.

"So, I think our candidates are four at this point. Lopez, Larson, Hudson and Evans. Here's what we need to do."


	4. Year 4 - part 1

**Year 4 – Part 1**

"We're going to spend two weeks in Ohio! How about that, girls?"

"Don't you have to work, Mom?" Rachel found Shelby's sudden enthusiasm very odd.

"I got that time off at work and thought it would be good to visit my family. Since you went to study at Hogwarts you never saw your grandparents again. Santana only met them at a single opportunity."

"Have I met them?" Santana frowned. "When?"

"You were five. It was the first time you vacationed with me."

Shelby went to the drawer where she kept photographs and picked up the album 'Santana'. She showed the girls the pictures of her eldest daughter. There were pictures of newborn baby Santana. Then there was a considerable time lapse in the images, and the next ones were from Santana's first trip to New York at the age of five. Shelby pointed to the image of an older couple posing in front of the Statue of Liberty. The man held Rachel in his lap and the woman held little Santana by the hand.

"I don't remember them or that day. I mean, I know who they are because you have their picture on that frame."

"That's why we're going to Ohio."

"Why don't you have photos of me before you're five? My father said you went to London at least three times to see me before you made the deal."

"I have pictures." Shelby went back to the drawer and picked up a box. They were magical, moving photos. "But I can't show these to my family or friends."

"Look here!" Rachel pointed to a picture of Santana sitting on the couch with baby Rachel on her lap.

"That reminds me of a very important warning." Shelby looked at the daughters. "My parents don't know you're witches. They don't know anything about your world. They think I sent you to an inner school in Westchester County, and that Santana is studying at a public school in London."

"Westchester County?" Rachel was puzzled by her mother's revelation. "Do you tell those schools of rich people in that region? With what money would you pay for it?"

"I said you got a scholarship."

"Oh Mom..."

"Rachel, honey, you know it's necessary. Your grandparents wouldn't understand that you now live in Scotland for most of the year."

...

Ohio. With so many more interesting places to go in the United States, Santana had to spend part of the vacation in an essentially industrial small-town where everything is about the refinery. But there she was getting out of Shelby's sedan car after nine terrible hours of travel.

"That's why I like teleportation. They're so much more practical." Santana snorted as she grabbed her backpack. On the outside, it looked ordinary, inside it was an entire wardrobe.

"Shelby! Rachel!" Lauren Corcoran opened the door and walked with her arms out to the girls. First, she hugged her granddaughter and then her daughter. "My God, is this Santana? How big she is!" Lauren gave a tight hug to her older granddaughter she had seen in person on one occasion. "Zack, come help the girls." She nodded to a gentleman: the girls' grandfather.

"Dad, you don't need ..."

"I'd like to carry my daughter's bags." Zach noticed that there were only two suitcases in the car, and that Santana only had the backpack on. "Where are your things?" Asked the older granddaughter.

"Everything's here," she replied naturally, pointing to the backpack.

"It's because our clothes are in the two suitcases, Dad." Shelby smiled at him and then glared at Santana.

They settled into the two-story house. Shelby still had her old room, while the girls settled into the guest room. The family gathered for dinner, and Shelby was more talkative, to make up for the daughters' silence. Zachary Corcoran constantly looked at her older granddaughter as if Santana were the embodiment of a karma. What Shelby never told her daughters, especially to Santana, that 'Zack' was the reason for the little contact with their maternal grandparents. The man was a racist member of extremist movements and, moreover, a radical religious. For him, having a mestizo (coloured) granddaughter was the end of the world, an irresponsibility of Shelby that tainted the lineage of the family.

"Tell me your life in London, Santana." Lauren, much nicer, asked.

"There's nothing much to say. I'm going to school, Quidditch game..." Santana was kicked by Rachel under the table.

"Quidditch?" Zack was surprised. "What is it?"

"It's one of those alternative sports invented by the English, Dad. It's one of these kids' things today." Shelby forced a smile.

"Oh, and how is it?"

"We..." Santana stared at her mother, who was glaring at her. Suddenly she didn't know how to explain without reference to the magical elements.

"It's a mix of handball and rugby, Grandpa." Rachel hastened to respond. "Santana is one of the best in school."

"Must be interesting." He didn't look impressed. "Rachel, my dear, how are things at the Westchester Institute?"

"Wonderful. The school is very drawn, but I have the company of my sis..." Now it was Rachel's turn to take a kick under the table. "of my best friend." Rachel stared at Santana. She told the truth inside the lie: even if her sister had other people in her life, Rachel considered Santana her best friend.

"What about your grades?" Zack asked.

"Still great, Grandpa."

The family finished dinner tense. Shelby watched her mother show something to the girls at the computer. Lauren started complaining because the internet signal was bad, which made it difficult for her to access the pages she wanted to show the net. She didn't know that it was her own granddaughters that were causing the signal to sway. The magic energy that Santana and Rachel emanated together was what triggered such flaws. The girls looked good to their grandmother, which was to be expected. Lauren has always been kind and patient. She was the one who called Shelby to hear news of the two granddaughters. She always wanted to have more contact with the girls and get to know Santana better.

Shelby walked over to her father in the basement. He found it polishing a piece of wood. Zach didn't look happy.

"Hi dad..." Shelby walked into the workshop and picked up one of the miniature ship models Zack liked to make. "This one here shouldn't be in my old room?"

"It was broken. Your mother left the window open and there was a gale. I had to change the mast."

"You should make one for the girls. They would like it."

"For Rachel, sure."

"Dad..." Shelby sighed. "I only ask that while we are here, that you don't discount your prejudices on my daughter. Santana is not to blame for anything."

"No, she doesn't. You are. Yet she's the materialization of your mistakes and poor decisions."

"I'm not having this argument with you again, okay? Stubborn old man. Wants to know? You're the loser one. Santana is a wonderful girl and I don't regret for a second I took the pregnancy forward. It would be great if you opened your stone heart a little and sought to know her. She's amazing and smart. I'm very proud of her."

Shelby stormed out of the workshop. It still hurt to know that her relationship problem with her father wasn't because she got pregnant with an occasional boyfriend. It was because this little boyfriend in question was a dark-skinned Latino. That was one reason Santana spent so many years without seeing the grandparents. The day that Zack and Lauren took the photo with their granddaughters in New York was a complete disaster. The photo was taken hours before a massive argument between father and daughter motivated because Shelby caught the father slapping a five-year-old girl's face. Santana bumped into the adult and poured yogurt into his shoe. Lucky the girls were too small to remember.

If Shelby could, Santana would never see Zack again. But she was there out of necessity. Shelby decided to go around the block where she grew up to breathe a little. She had left that city 15 years ago, but the place seemed to be parked in time. Even the playground was exactly as Shelby remembered. But that didn't bring her good memories. On the contrary: Lima brought very oppressive memories. Shelby took advantage of the empty space and sat down on a swing. She felt like smoking a joint to relax. In fact, it wasn't rare that the teenager Shelby stayed on that playground with other friends to smoke some. Too bad she had none with her at the time.

"You're tense."

Shelby jumped off the swing and almost had a stretch.

"Juan? What the hell? I thought..."

"I took a chance to see how you and the girls were."

"How?" Shelby sighed.

"Plane... teleportation... apparation..."

"I almost forgot that these things existed." Shelby sat back on the swing. "You should have told me you were coming."

"Sorry. I took advantage of my coming to the United States to get some details about Santana's safety. I'd send an owl, but from what you told me about your parents, I thought this might not be a good idea."

"Glad you took that into account." Shelby looked at Juan. He was still a handsome and desirable man. Every time Shelby and Juan met, it was clear that there was still strong sexual tension between them. Both matured very well. But they had different personalities and goals. It would never work between them. "Do you want me to call Santana?"

"She better not know I'm here. She better not know nothing of it. I won't be able to stay for long, anyway. I just want to make sure you're safe."

"We will have to return soon to New York, Juan. I have a job."

"Don't worry. This trip to Ohio will give us time to organize a security plan in New York along with a group of auroras friends of Harry Potter who work in the Congress of Magic of this country. In advance, there will be an Auror named Sue Sylvester who will look for you. She's an animagus... she's a witch who can turn into a certain animal. In her case, a white cat. She should come over here in the next few days and introduce herself to you."

"How am I going to explain to Santana that she's going to spend her entire summer vacation with me? She'll be suspicious. "

"I assure you she won't think it bad to stay away from my wife and step-son."

"Your world is very dangerous."

"Just mine?" Juan smiled.

"You have a point. Only when you sent me the message, I understood the urgency, so much that I came here among all the places in the world! But I need to know more details, Juan."

Juan sat on the swing and invited Shelby to sit back in the swing beside him.

"I also had a hard time accepting when Harry Potter himself came to me to talk about Santana. What he told me made all sense, especially since my wife started having a sudden interest in our daughter, wondering when she would be going on vacation, and everything. This made me apprehensive because Amber comes from a traditional family tied to supremacist ideas. She criticized Santana for being half-blood, and when I speak half-blood, I mean that she is the daughter of a wizard with a muggle. I don't know exactly what is happening. There are many rumours running in England right now. Things related to prophecies that you wouldn't understand. What I know is that Santana needs to stay as far away from this environment as possible. And you're the safest option for our daughter."

"What prophecy, Juan?" Shelby pressed.

Juan hesitated for a moment. He knew Shelby would have even more rage from the wizarding world, but what's the alternative? Shelby needed and deserved to know. It was for Santana's sake, and even Rachel's.

"There is a prophecy about a new clash between a dark wizard and another one of the light. Depending on who leaves alive, there will be peace or darkness for generations to come. Harry Potter isn't sure who they are exactly, but the prophecy speaks of children born on a specific date."

"Let me guess: Santana was born on that date."

"Exact."

"What is she?"

"We don't know. After some investigations, there are now four children that need protection. It's possible that Santana is just an ordinary girl who had the misfortune to be born on that date. But right now, our daughter is a target."

"Why then go back to Hogwarts if she's safer with me?"

"Because, ironically, Hogwarts is the safest and most appropriate place for her to be."

They both remained silent. Juan knew Shelby had a lot to digest. On the other hand, he also knew that the woman had matured a lot and could entrust their daughter's life to her, no matter the situation.

"You know?" Shelby rambled. "Santana is gaudy and sometimes a bit rough, but she is an incredible girl. She has a huge heart. You did a great job."

"I know you did a great job with Rachel. You created her practically by herself. You're a great mother, Shelby. "

"Thanks. I would like to have the head I have now at that time. Maybe we would have had a chance."

"I believe things happen exactly as they should."

"Don't you think about us?"

Juan stared at the woman sitting on the playground swing. Although it was dark, Shelby looked bright.

"Do you think?" Juan countered the question.

"Sometimes. Do you think? "Shelby insisted.

"All the time."

There was one other thing about that playground: it had dark corners enough that, at night, boys and girls could practice certain experiments, as well as smoking hidden from their parents. Maybe Shelby was feeling lonely and frustrated, maybe Juan was disillusioned with his own marriage. Whatever their motives were, in one of the dark corners, reinforced by the protego charm, which formed a barrier so that no one could see them, Juan and Shelby remembered how they always had good sex chemistry.

They were two adults who knew very well what they were doing. And what they did was take some of the frustration out of their respective pores through pleasure and a connection that was still there. At the end of the unexpected and impulsive sexual intercourse, Shelby and Juan said good-bye with no kisses and a certain embarrassment.

Shelby tidied up her hair and clothes and went back to her parents' house. Her mind still held innumerable worries about her daughters. But her body was relaxed, and God knew how much she needed it.

...

"I feel weird," Rachel whispered to Santana at dawn at the Corcorans' house.

"Weird how?" Santana also whispered.

"As if my hands were heavier and hotter. There's this feeling in my chest that I can't describe right, but it's not pleasant."

Santana got up from the double bed she shared with her sister and went to her backpack.

"Accio wand."

Santana felt a strange energy in her hands, as if it tingled. The wand answered the command, but flew uncontrollably rucksack out, crashing against the window and making an unwanted noise in the process. Wands served to channel power. Magic without them was difficult and required special training. Even so, it wasn't all wizards who could conjure up complex wandless spells. Not even the African students, who wandered for cultural affirmation, couldn't perform complex spells without a wand. They say that Merlin was the only one who could. Santana had no control, but she was powerful enough to accomplish wandless magic (though she wasn't aware of it).

"San!" Rachel whispered screaming. "You won't want to wake them up." She was referring to the grandparents, who slept in the next room.

"Sorry." Santana picked up her wand from the carpet. She made some movements and then repeated the command. "Accio wand."

This time it was Rachel's wand that flew from inside her backpack to her hands, as she hoped had happened the first time. Santana handed over her sister's wand.

"Our mother said..."

"Our mother doesn't understand! Magic is like a muscle, Rach. You need to use it or it will cause problems. This bad feeling is because we haven't practiced anything for more than a week. Not a fucking lumos."

"So you're feeling the same?" Santana nodded.

Rachel shook her own wand and it was like a coolness. It was a beautiful piece of faial wood and unicorn hair core. The light brown of the wood was all worked at the base, and the tip was straight and smooth, with gold accents. Faio was for open-minded and sensitive people. They say it was the wood of the wizard artists, something that perfectly matched with Rachel. It was different from Santana's black wand (the ebony was one of the darker woods that existed), smooth and simple at the base, and its rustic-looking body, slightly irregular, as if it had been carved with a knife and then varnished. That was, in fact, a wand for wrestlers.

"Lumos!" Rachel intoned. The tip of the wand shone, lightly lighting the room.

"How it feels?"

"Much better."

"Guess what movie this is." Santana held the wand so that her index finger was against the tip. "ET, phone, home!"

Rachel laughed out of her sister's idiocy when the tip of the wand lit up the tip of Santana's index finger. Suddenly they heard footsteps and it was only a matter of seconds between hiding their wands under the covers and the door opening. It was Zack.

"What's going on here?"

"Nothing Grandpa." Rachel hurried to answer. "We were sleepless."

"Sorry if we made any noise."

Zack looked at the two girls and was not fully convinced, but decided to leave it as it was. It was not that the girls were bothering him, but his ill-will with Santana was such that the slightest detail could lead him to commit excesses.

"Just be quiet. There are other people in this house trying to sleep."

"Yes sir." They both said at the same time.

...

Lima was a boring city. This was a consensus for Muggles and Witches. Rachel and Santana bored the part of bonding with grandparents, but did she have to stay that long? Lauren was being wonderful. She was a woman of her class and gave all the attention she could to Santana. It was also a way to compensate for the fact that Zack only addressed the older granddaughter the least necessary.

The women of the family made several small outings. Rachel and Santana met William McKinley High, where Shelby studied. They saw the Glee Club champion cups and the photos of Shelby with the gang. They talked to Emma Pillsburry, who graduated from the same class as Shelby and currently worked as a teacher. They hated each other at the time, but there at the reunion they treated each other like good friends. They also met Terri Del Monico, Shelby's best friend. Terri called her ex-best friend an uncontrolled bitch when Shelby had two close pregnancies to different men. A decade later, Terri was newly divorced and feeling cursed for not being able to bear her own children. For Shelby, it was a sad reunion, but the girls just thought Terri was just plain crazy.

They walked through the city's only mall more times than they wanted, visited some of the parks in the surrounding towns, and even made a trip to Cleveland for sightseeing. Two days before returning to New York, as planned, Shelby and the girls felt exhausted. They decided to spend the day at home.

It meant that the internet signal would look like crap, like the cell phone, which Netflix would sometimes crash (it was better to watch blu-ray or conventional TV). It also meant that Zack would spend the day in the workshop. At suppertime, Lauren, with the help of Shelby, prepared a banquet. It was a real Thanksgiving dinner at the end of June. It had roasted turkey, mashed potatoes, and a well-served salad for Rachel, who was a vegetarian. Zack sat down reluctantly. The women talked quietly while he remained silent.

Suddenly, Zack began to choke. Shelby, at first, treated her with humour and patted her father's back. But the case was serious and the man began to turn purple. In agony, he knocked over his plate and glass. Shelby was distressed, slammed down on her father's back and tried to press his chest, hugging him from behind. Since she didn't have the technique, it did not help. At that time, Santana to her purse on the couch and when she saw that nothing was resolved, that grandfather was losing his strength, she didn't hesitate and pointed the wand.

"Anapneo!" A small blue flash flashed from her wand toward her grandfather.

In the next second, a piece of turkey cartilage came out of his mouth, allowing him to breathe again. Instead of celebrating, the grandparents were in shock.

"What are you?" Lauren whispered.

"She's a demon," Zack still accused.

"Demon? My daughter just saved your life, you old bastard!"

"She's a demon!" He threatened to advance on Santana, but he was restrained by Shelby.

"Don't you dare land your hand on her!"

The old man disengaged himself from his daughter, pushing her across the table, and stepped out of the glass.

"Mom, I don't know how to obliterate safely... yet." Santana began to panic.

"What are you?" Lauren was still frightened. "A witch? It's not possible! It doesn't exist."

"Mom..." Shelby approached Lauren warily. "Let me explain."

"Did you know that?" The woman wouldn't let her touch her. "Are you a freak too?"

"San..." Rachel took her sister's hand. "We're going to have to get out of here."

When they thought of running, the girls were surprised by Zack, who aimed a pistol directly at his older granddaughter.

"Dad!" Shelby shouted.

Rachel was so terrified that she hid behind her sister.

"You're a demon. Your salvation is the fire!"

"Dad..." Shelby approached slowly, intending to stay ahead of her daughters, to protect them. "Put that gun down, for God's sake. You're talking about hurting your granddaughter. Blood of your blood! "

"Demons have demon blood, Shel."

"Father!" Shelby screamed once more, trying to attract the most attention to herself.

Santana took advantage of the breach offered by her mother and pointed her wand.

"Expelliamus."

The old man's eyes widened as he saw the gun flying from their hands. Before he had the chance to get her back, Santana acted again.

"Stupefy!"

A red thunderbolt slipped out of Santana's wand, striking his grandfather's chest. His body flew backward, crashing against the wall. Lauren and Shelby screamed.

"San..." Shelby was stunned. Her face was covered with tears. "What did you do?"

"This madman was going to kill me!" Santana could barely breathe. She was crying, too.

Shelby went to the father. She was relieved to feel his pulse and his breathing.

"He's alive."

Shelby was unbalanced when a person suddenly appeared in the house followed by a popping noise.

"Who are you?" Santana pointed her wand at the invading witch.

"What a mess!" Sue Sylvester showed unusual calm. "You can lower your wand, big-thing. I'm here to fix this."

"What's going on here?" Lauren was hysterical. "Shelby... what's going on?"

Sylvester just pointed her wand at Lauren and she fainted immediately. Then she stretched her fingers and looked at the three remaining women as if the drama of moments ago was nothing.

"This lady..." Shelby was struggling to speak clearly.

"I'm Sue Sylvester." She stood formally in front of the teenagers. "Auror." She looked around once more. She pointed her wand at the table and all the pieces and mess were repaired. "I'm going to obliterate those two. When they wake up, try to act as if nothing has happened. Now, girls, help me put these no-majs in the chairs."

"No-majs?" Rachel asked.

"No-majs, that has no magic..."

"You mean, muggles?" Santana asked as she helped put her grandmother back in a sitting position. Meanwhile, Rachel took the pistol, ran into the yard, and threw the gun into the trash can.

"British people! How unbearable." Sylvester rolled her eyes. She helped Shelby put her father on the chair she was in. "What a great play, wasn't it, Corcoran?"

"Apparently you're not so quick to respond to emergencies."

"Mom?" Rachel asked. "Do you know her? From where?"

"Long story to tell later."

Sue erased Zack and Lauren's recent memory and ordered everyone to continue at the table, pretending nothing had happened.

"Big-deal, do you know how to wake them up?" Santana nodded. Sue then rubbed her hands together. "At least you know how to do it... okay, when you're ready. In the meantime, I'll finish my hunt. "The Auror apparated without further explanation to the girls.

"I'll never get used to it!" Shelby was still in trouble. "Girls..."

"I don't want to talk about this, mom." Rachel wiped her tears.

"I don't want to see these people again." Santana was struggling to control herself and not cry anymore.

"I know your grandfather is an ignorant."

"Ignorant not! He's a homicidal scrotum! You think I didn't notice how much he hates me? It's been days since I've noticed his scorn as you juggle the weather."

"You have every right to be angry. I'm furious with my dad too. But you have to understand that it's not easy, Santana. It's not easy to accept what you are, it is not easy to deal with the world you live. It's not easy to know that you are." Shelby restrained herself before she talked too much.

"What am I what?"

"That you are surrounded by hazards."

"Who is not? I can't wait to get to New York and catch a plane to London." Santana grunted.

"That will happen, but not now."

"Not now?"

"Your father and I have decided that you are going to spend your entire vacation with me this time. You're only going back to London days before you head back to Hogwarts."

"But? Mom? I can't. I have my friends in London. I have my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Shelby was startled. "Best friend's girlfriend?"

Rachel put her hands on her face, not believing where the conversation was coming from.

"No... girlfriend of girlfriend."

"Oh." Shelby started to shake. She looked at her parents who had passed out in the chairs and thanked them for a moment that they were in that condition. "Are you sure? You're only 13 years old."

"Almost 14."

"Did you know that, Rachel?" The younger daughter's reaction was that she did. "Of course you did. You two are accomplices!" Then she sighed to herself. "Thank God you guys are accomplices to each other. Keep it up. "

"My father is gay," Rachel observed randomly.

"Yes, Hiram is gay." Shelby shook her head. She wiped the tears once more and stood up. She went to Santana and kissed her on the head. "I know you have to deal with a lot, honey. And you'll always have my lap. I may be a Muggle, but there is no magic in the world that can stop me from protecting you both."

"Thank you, Mom." Rachel and Santana responded at the same time.

Shelby sat down in the chair again. She tried to recover as much as possible and took a deep breath.

"Santana, you can wake them up."

"Enevarte!" Santana intoned and quickly placed her wand in her lap.

Lauren and Zack woke up without remembering anything that had happened. They didn't understand why, from one moment to another, from their perspective, mother and daughters were silent and sad.

...

The last time Shelby was in Diagon Alley was 15 years ago just before getting pregnant with Santana. The narrow, terribly busy street with low, tortuous buildings continued exactly as she remembered it. Wizards walking in clothes that for her were Halloween costume, but there were also other creatures she could only imagine, like the goblins. The second time in the life that entered Gringons Wizarding Bank was as scary as in the first 15 years in the company of Juan Lopez. This time she was with her daughters. Santana moved around with the naturalness of those who grew up in the wizarding world. Rachel was still dazzled because she was only really familiar with Hogwarts. She was excited, too, because it would be the first time she could go out on weekends to visit Hogsmeade.

"I need to exchange dollars for..." Shelby looked at Santana for help.

"Galleons," the daughter said.

"How much?" The goblin responded with almost cruel indifference.

"$500 American dollars." Shelby handed her the money.

The goblin worked with astonishing speed and returned the coins.

"There are 68 galleons and two sickles. Next!"

Shelby took the coins and poured them into her purse.

"This's enough to buy Rachel's school supplies... I suppose." Shelby frowned. "When your father said he'd give you the money to buy your things, Santana?"

"He left the money for all year in my safe."

"Safe box?"

Santana smiled and asked her mother and sister to accompany her. They entered the small queue of a new booth and Santana introduced herself asking to visit the safe. She handed the identity to the goblin, which took only a minute to resolve the bureaucratic work. Then he invited the three women down to the place. Santana vowed that she would never forget her mother's face and screams again when she walked in what she called a mining cart far worse than Indiana Jones. When they reached the safe, Shelby was disheveled and white. Rachel was not very comfortable there, but she would never give her arm to her sister.

"Miss Lopez." The goblin opened the door, revealing a neatly tiled room with shelves on the stone walls.

Shelby got the impression that she was entering a museum of gold pieces and some works. Even Rachel was impressed.

"Santana, I didn't know you were rich."

"Rich?" The gobin mocked.

"The nose is right. This is nowhere near the safe of the more traditional and wealthy families. When my father received the grandfather's inheritance, he shared everything with me and opened that safe" Santana explained. "He said it was a guarantee. If he did something silly, at least half of everything would be safe with me and I would be financially insured for a few good years. Eventually, he actually did something silly."

"What?" Shelby asked.

"She married the shrew."

Santana took 200 galleons deposited by her father and put them in her backpack with expanded space. It was more than enough to buy the new materials and spend the year with some change to buy bullshit at Hogsmeade or go through some emergency. Santana also showed Shelby that things in the wizarding world were not so different. The Hogwarts textbooks practically didn't change from year to year. So, the books used by Santana in the third year were all passed to Rachel. Already the books of the second year of Rachel (and that also were Santana's before) were negotiated in the second-hand book store of the Alley Diagonal. Santana also bought almost all fourth year books in that place, which allowed her to save 40% of the money. As Rachel spent only eight galleons a day with school, she would have 60 galleons to spend the year, which was a great amount she could use throughout the year at Hogsmeade. Already Santana was the Quidditch equipment store. She traded her Nimbus 2000 for a second-hand Nimbus 2001 in perfect condition. She needed to pay 30 galleons of difference. She still bought better guards and by the end of the day still had 110 galleons in her pocket.

"I wanted your backpack!" Shelby confessed as the three of them stopped at the ice cream parlor. "Although that expansion you made in my wardrobe was wonderful. Imagine that now I have a great closet in an apartment of 70 m²."

"I can do an expansion spell in your bag, but it would be tricky for a muggle to find something later."

"Uh, you carry a world in this backpack and you find everything very fast."

"Because of a wand and small command called accio," Santana explained and Rachel confirmed.

Even knowing of the dangers that involved the eldest daughter, Shelby was happy to have fulfilled the mission in protecting her during the vacations. Aside from dinner that almost ended in tragedy in Ohio, there were no serious incidents in New York. Sue Sylvester helped in that, anticipating anyone suspecting that she would try to get close to Santana or Rachel. Now Shelby would have to rely on the school's famous reinforced security and leave her girls inside. Still, it wouldn't be easy to let them go.

...

"Britt!" Santana waved to her girlfriend in season 9 ¾. Brittany pretended not to see her and continued to talk to Mike. "Britt!" Santana insisted and was ignored one more time. Brittany got into the express wagon for Hogwarts, leaving Santana planted at the station.

"What was it?" Sugar was coming in at that moment. Since her friend didn't respond, she grimaced. "Creed! It looks like she even went on vacation with a dementor."

Santana turned her head toward the company of Rachel, Shelby and Juan, who had gone to see her daughter (and Shelby) at the station.

"What's up?" Rachel asked.

"I have no idea."

"Hey! Look! Hugo is here! "Rachel waved to her best friend and his approaching family.

The Grangers-Weasleys first greeted the Malfoys (in which Rose and Scorpius exchanged complacent looks) before passing through the adjacent Lopez. Rachel and Hugo hugged as Ronny greeted Juan and Hermione held out her hand to Shelby.

"It seems our kids are very good friends," Hermione commented. "Hugo didn't stop talking about Rachel."

"And neither did Rachel. I learned that your son is an excellent pianist."

"Yes, Hugo have this passion for music. How are you, Santana?"

Santana looked surprised. She being greeted by the great Hermione Granger? The same Santana that caused the small signal on Rose's forehead?

"I'm doing very well, thank you, Mrs. Granger."

"Very well."

The family followed to finally reach the Potters. Santana watched the trio of heroes interact. It was also, in a way, very strange to see three of the characters in the storybook like this: alive and not very old. Until she admired them. She couldn't say the same about their kids. Santana liked Al Potter because he helped her to practice. Lily was a completely different story. Santana still gulped the week she spent playing slave to Lily. She could even remember the pain of the tattoo that took almost a month to get out. But she had planned a careful revenge list to make up for it.

"Daydreaming, Lopez?" Quinn came by surprise and, as usual, was unaccompanied by her parents.

"Going over some plans, Fabray." They hugged each other.

The students said goodbye to their parents and embarked for another school year at Hogwarts. As it was tradition since the second year, Quinn and Santana shared a cabin on the espresso. Rachel got into the space carrying some chocolates. But Brittany was missing. Impatiently, Santana rose from the cabin and tried to find her girlfriend.

"What's up to her?" Quinn asked Rachel as she accepted a chocolate.

"She couldn't talk to Brittany all summer."

"Why not? I even got a message from Santana about you staying and New York for the holidays."

"Yeah, my sister sent some e-mail, but there was no response."

"Email?"

"E-mail," Quinn continued with a question mark. Rachel sometimes forgot that not all wizards had contact with Muggles. Quinn Fabray was one such case. "It's one of the ways Muggles communicate with the computer these days. This is now done or through messages sent by cell phones or computers."

"I've seen a computer. It seems complicated."

"It's simpler than you think. Muggles can communicate with each other instantly. I'd have a cell phone myself if it worked right with me or in our world."

"This is interesting."

"It sure is a lot more efficient than owls. What else is in this world that is better than ours?"

"Media, the arts in general, though I was shocked that a lot of the great artists were and are wizards. Engineering and science."

"Science? Why do you say that? Much of our artifacts can easily transform or annul muggle inventions."

"Yeah, but they put men in orbit on this planet. There's genetic engineering, these crazy things they have and don't see here. Things like test-tube babies to couples who can't conceive a child."

"No witch is a stereo, if that's the case." Quinn shrugged.

"You don't know, Quinn."

"A witch only has no children if she doesn't want to, or if she suffers from too much damage, because there are portions that will fix this problem. It's even possible for a woman to conceive a woman."

"That's impossible!" Rachel thought Quinn was making fun of her face.

"I'm serious, it's possible with the proper transfiguration spell and portions."

"Oh..."

"So the Muggles are still so incredible?"

"There are advantages and disadvantages in both worlds."

"Maybe."

Meanwhile, Santana walked down the narrow corridor to the booths, looking one by one to see if Brittany was there. The girl in question was in the passenger seats along with Mike, Samuel, and Finn. She drank pumpkin juice and laughed loosely at the supposed friends. Considering that Mike was the only one Santana tolerated among the assembled boys.

"Britt." Santana approached trying not to sound so miserable near the boys.

"What is it?" She barely glanced at her girlfriend.

"Could we talk for a minute? Please?"

"Now you have one minute?"

Santana saw the boys looking sideways or upwards, as if they wanted to laugh and were controlling themselves. It was also as if they knew something Santana was completely oblivious to. Brittany looked at Santana with some indifference, sighed with disdain, and stood up.

"You have a minute!"

Santana pulled her into the cab wagon, which was as discreet as it could be on that moving train packed with Hogwarts students and a few professors.

"Could you tell me what's going on?" Santana frowned. "Why are you treating me like this?"

"You're very dickhead, Lopez."

"What?" Santana was startled. Brittany never called her by her last name. "Britt, seriously, I don't understand anything here. What did I do to you?"

"You broke up with me with a simple note from your owl. Or will you deny it?"

"I what?" Santana had palpitations. With her owl? But her owl was with her father all the time. Juan was the one who took care of it. "Britt, I never sent a note to you this year! I've been vacationing in New York and sent you a bunch of emails because I know you use the internet when you're at your parents' house. It's not possible that you didn't open any messages from me!"

It was Brittany's turn to be confused.

"But trace of the letters was yours."

"I swear on all that is most sacred, for Merlin, for God, for my parents, and even for Rachel: I did not send any note breaking up with you. Much less for an owl. I spent the whole vacation in US for a very strange reason. Ask Rachel if you want. On more than one occasion I questioned why you weren't answering to my messages."

"Oh." Brittany was genuinely confused. "Is that really true?"

"I swear!"

"San..." Brittany changed her posture. In a combative way, she now spoke with resignation. "I don't know what to say. I don't know how to tell you this now."

"Tell what?"

"I was very sad when I got that note. I cried a whole week. Until one day, the boys called me to watch a Quidditch game of the Arrows. Sam was also there and..." Brittany grimaced.

"And what, Britt?"

"We started dating."

"Well..." Santana took a deep breath at the impact of the news. She never expected that. "Then break up with him!"

"But I like him and I want to stay with him."

"Why?"

"Because he's good for me. He makes me smile."

"And I don't?"

"San..." Brittany tried to hug her, but Santana pulled away.

"You know what?" Santana started to walk backward, away from Brittany. "Stay with your funny boy. Enjoy it."

Santana started to walk fast, struggling not to cry, but it was in vain. On the way, she bumped into Lily, almost knocking her down in the process.

"Lopez." Lily would be rude, until she saw that her opponent was crying. This struck Lily in a way she never thought would happen: seeing Santana sadly made her worried and wanting to comfort her.

"Leave me alone!" Santana pushed Lily away.

She got into the cabin where Quinn and Rachel were. Santana couldn't help herself. She knelt on the floor and wept on her sister's lap.

...

The news spread like fire. At the Slytherin table Santana felt miserable as Quinn and Rachel destroyed every single note they tried to get. It was like many of the students who had been bullied and plagued by their misfortune. Samuel suddenly became a hero. He was so proud of the many compliments he received from the same Hufflepuffs that he didn't notice that the Ravenclaws on the same side, his girlfriend was sad. Brittany spent most of the summer so angry with Santana, but when she learned the truth, she came into conflict with herself.

The professors occupied the main table, Minerva gave the inaugural speech and called the newcomers. Luna's twins, Lorcan and Lysander Scamander, were selected for different homes. The first was for Ravenclaw (as his mother), and the second one followed the tradition of Hufflepuff's father's family. A new Slytherin named Kitty Wilde was very well received by Quinn Fabray, since their parents were the owners of the Tutshill Tornados and they had businesses in common in the city. A shy muggle-born girl, Marley Rose, was accepted in Hufflepuff.

There was, however, a presence that excited everyone's attention. No less than Ginny Potter and Oliver Wood were seated at the professors' table. The students would ask Al and Lily Potter questions about it, but they just smiled. The mystery, however, was soon solved.

"There's something new in sports programming this year." Minerva began to explain in the speech. "Due to the celebrations on the founding of the Durmstrang Institute and the Quidditch World Cup taking place next summer in Norway, a special edition of the Quidditch School Cup will be held. This championship will bring together the three main schools of witchcraft in Europe, plus the schools of Ilvermony, the United States, Castelobruxo, Brazil, Mahoutokoro, Japan, and Uagadou, Uganda." Minerva paused as students became exited, celebrating the novelty. "So we invited Ginevra Potter and Oliver Wood to set up and train the team that will represent our school. Potter, if you want to say something."

"Thank you, Minerva. Because of the School Cup, the home cup will be simplified. We'll do the Hogwarts team's squad from what we see in those games. There is no mystery: the best players will be summoned. The trainings will be hard because we will do a schedule close to the professional training without, of course, harming you in the classroom. We will face the cold, the selected ones will feel pains in the body, but I guarantee that, in the end, we will be able to prepare a team that will represent our great school with all dignity.

The students vibrated, except for Santana.

"What kind of face is that?" Quinn nudged her friend. "We have a good chance of being select."

"Yes, but didn't see who the coaches are? I'll stay out, Fabray."

Students were dismissed at the end of dinner. Everyone dreamed of being able to ride in that Hogwarts caravan somehow. Even Rachel had plans to attend the event somehow. Santana, no. She truly believed she was out. The negativity was accentuated because of Brittany and the broken heart.

"Hey, Lopez!" Finn Hudson said as he walked away from Slytherin. "Has your elbow pain improved already?"

Santana responded in the worst way. She conjured a kind of whip on her wand and laced it on the big man's legs. Finn crashed to the ground and Santana followed the way without even looking back.

"What's wrong with this girl?" Finn raged.

He was surprised to see his favourite teacher, Neville Longbottom, help him get up.

"I don't know what's wrong with her, either." Neville tapped Finn on the back to help wipe the dust off his clothes. "But I know it's past time for you to learn to defend yourself."

"How?"

"I'll train you. That way you'll be able to face Santana Lopez equally."

...

"Santana."

Santana looked back and saw one of the most undesirable people in the world at that moment. Samuel Evans had approached it near the new wooden bridge at Hogwarts, where Santana liked to go sometimes to enjoy the scenery and cool the head. Samuel was dressed in casual clothes, as students were allowed on weekends and at the end of school hours. Santana, in turn, wore the Slytherin Quidditch T-shirt worn the previous year. It was an unofficial outfit designed only for team members, as a sort of demarcation of status.

Santana noticed that her colleague had his wand in his hands and his body posture was more offensive than cautious. It made her roll her eyes. Her fame got to the point where it seemed like all the Hogwarts students except her close friends and Rachel saw her as an unpredictable wild animal she could attack at any moment. If in the first three years, Santana thought that was the respect that had imposed, at that moment began to rethink everything. Being feared that way was just tiring, lonely and no fun.

"What do you want Evans?" She continued to stare at the landscape, as if not caring about the boy's presence. But her body posture said the opposite: Santana was tense, her mind prepared to defend herself at any moment.

"I never asked you anything, I never bothered you, not even when I was a victim of your bullying."

"That's the part you say, 'but,' and ask me to stay away from Brittany." Santana said in a bored, pejorative voice, clearly dismissing her colleague's approach.

"Brittany looked very ill when she received her cool, calculating note. I supported her and we fell in love. I love her and if you do anything against it, you'll regret it."

"I'm not afraid of shit like you, Evans."

"Well, you should."

Santana stared at the boy for the first time and took a few steps toward him. Samuel stood up in an attacking posture. Santana stopped, smiled cynically.

"Are you so afraid of me like that?"

"Give it a try."

"You suck, Evans. I won't even have to do anything, I don't need to touch you and not say a word to her about it. It's crystal that she will dump you soom."

"Stupefy!" Samuel conjured in his anger.

The spell was so strong that it surprised Santana. The impact made her fly a few feet and fall on the floor of the new wooden bridge.

"Stay away from her. Don't interfere. "Samuel said firmly and turned his back on his opponent.

Deep down, Samuel came out of the duel envious, not because he supposedly defended his girlfriend's honour, but because he knocked down none other than Santana Lopez. This did him good to the ego and he couldn't wait to spread the word.

...

"What are you doing?"

Al Potter surprised Santana in the precise room. The girl in question was bouncing and punching in the air like a boxer. She stopped the movements as soon as she saw her colleague. It was the first time they had met after their vacation, to continue the treaty of training together.

"Shadow boxing!" Santana began to stretch her arms. "I learned this in New York from a friend of my mother's."

"Shadow boxing?" Al Potter was disbelieving.

"Amazingly, it's good to relax. You jump, do the exercise, and most of all imagine that you're hitting someone."

"May I ask who you were beating in your imagination?"

"In some people. Samuel Evans, to begin with."

"Oh! Do you want to talk about it?" Santana was silent and Al sat down beside her. "Remember our deal? To be honest with each other in here?"

"I'm being honest with you. I'd love to break Evans' face because he stole my girlfriend. I would love to do away with his race because he knocked me over and made sure to spread it to school. He still lied saying it was to defend Brittany's honour. Lie! He attacked me because I called him shit, which he really is. But I can't fight back! Because if I touch him, I'll lose Brittany. If I tell the truth, I'll lose Brittany. All I can do is pretend that I'm bursting with that fish mouth that he has in his face." Santana wiped a tear that fell from the anger she felt. "Everything because I stayed in New York..."

"What happened, exactly?"

"I don't know, Al. My mother said that I would spend the whole summer with her, that this was combined with my father, and that there was no argument. I sent messages to Quinn and emails to Brittany. I even got a message from Quinn, but Brittany never returned me. I just knew in the express that someone sent a note to Britt pretending to be me, and ended our relationship."

"San, this is serious! Don't you know who did it and why?"

"I didn't have the mind to think about it yet."

Al Potter tried to understand. Santana was about to turn 14, as were Quinn, Samuel, and Finn (everyone was celebrating their birthday the same week). She was just an immature teenager who was crying with a broken heart. But he, on the other hand, felt compelled to investigate and get the story clear.

"Do you want to practice today?" Al asked.

"I'm not in the mood."

It was prudent not to insist. Working with complex spells without the emotional state in balance would be a bad deal. So he changed his strategy.

"You teach me this kind of shadow boxing?"


	5. Year 4 - part 2

"Guys!"

Rachel and Hugo positioned themselves in front of the other members of the Muggle music choir. Mercedes, Blaine, Kurt didn't seem so anxious to hear the news of Rachel's summons. Brittany was another story. The Ravenclaw's girl was hopeful that she could reconnect with her best friend through her younger sister. Rachel wasn't willing to ease the way, even though she knew she needed Brittany, at least until another Ravenclaw arrived.

"Who would like to go to the Quidditch School Cup?"

"I can go." Blaine held up his hand. "If I can make a good season, I have a good chance of being called to the team."

"Brittany is more likely to be chosen than you, Blaine." Mercedes smiled at her colleague.

"That's a fact." Brittany spoke blasély. She didn't think so much about the call, although she loved to play. She had other priorities at the moment.

"Anyway, for those who don't play Quidditch, I just heard there's a chance we'll join the Hogwarts team. There will be a cultural fair during the Cup in which the schools will make artistic demonstrations. We can be the group representing Hogwarts at this fair." Rachel applauded herself for having learned the story along with Professor Longbottom.

"How?" Kurt asked. "We suck. It's obvious that the frogs choir goes with the entourage."

"That may be so, but the frogs choir isn't the only kind of gear that exists at Hogwarts."

"What do you mean?" Mercedes started to get interested.

"There are three art groups at Hogwarts: the orchestra, us and the frogs choir. But there is only room for a group. So there will be a consultation among the students to know which group will represent Hogwarts. This will be done by a kind of competition in January." Hugo explained.

"Are you serious?" Kurt was excited.

"We suck right now, but we have five months to be better. What do you say?" Rachel gave a starry smile.

"What does Professor Schuester have to say about it?" Blaine asked, making faces at other colleagues.

"He'll love the challenge." Rachel said as if she was sure of the world. "Because if he doesn't agree, we'll get another coordinator."

Of course the little bunch of weirdos would face the challenge. What did they have to lose? Except Blaine and Brittany, who played Quidditch, the rest of the group were invisible at school and in their houses. Hugo was the renegade Weasley no one gave a damn, Rachel was the stuck-and-annoying girl they all ignored, Mercedes and Kurt just had each other. So what's the problem of trying to win a spot in the sun at least once in their life? They would have the attention of the whole school for about five minutes. It was like a dream.

At the end of the meeting, Brittany tried to reach Rachel.

"Hey." Ravenclaw forced a smile. "How is your sister? We haven't spoken theses days."

"Must be because you stuck your lips to Evans's?" Rachel was harsh. "Look, Brittany, I appreciate you still in our choir, but you won't be able to use me to solve your problems with my sister."

"But..."

"Santana wasn't to blame!"

Rachel followed her way, leaving Brittany behind.

"Nor was I to blame." she whispered to herself.

"Pierce!"

Brittany glanced toward the voice that called her down the hall. It was Al Potter who was waiting for an opportunity to talk to the girl.

"Potter?" She was surprised. Al Potter had never stopped to talk to her.

"Pierce, I need to ask you a question that's going to sound kind of weird, but I assure you it's of the utmost importance."

"What is it?"

"Do you still have the note that Santana supposedly sent you breaking up you relationship.?"

"No. I tore it. Why?"

"Not at all." Al Potter was disappointed. If he had the note in hand, he could prove that Santana had nothing to do with it. Maybe he could even find the real author. "But who delivered it if Santana was in the United States all the time?"

"It came with an owl."

"Of course. But was it Juliet?" Juliet was the little gray owl that belonged to Santana.

"No. It was an ordinary brown owl."

"But do you remember it? Could you identify it?"

"It's possible. Why?"

"Because I can find out who sabotaged your relationship with Santana. Except I need you to tell me exactly the day you got the note and identify the owl. If you're interested in keeping this story clean, that's the opportunity."

...

The first few weeks were difficult for Santana. She was feeling miserable at the end of her relationship. She didn't understand why Brittany didn't break up with Samuel when the misunderstanding was discovered. She knew, it was true, that her friend was too human to kick someone coldly. If she was all this time with Samuel, it was because he should have something good. But what exactly? Was it because Samuel had a clean image in school? For the boy's beauty, despite what Santana called him fish mouth? Everything was changing that year. Rachel was clinging to Hugo, Quinn sometimes had to pay attention to Kitty. Santana thought her relationship with Brittany might improve over the course of days, but behold, the Ravenclaw girl spent most of her free time exchanging saliva with Samuel. Not all childhood friends survived the teenage years, but Santana thought Brittany and she were forever. But forever always ends.

The day of their first visit to Hogsmeade arrived. Coincidentally, the same day as Santana was turned 14 years old. Rachel and Quinn organized a small surprise party at the Three Broomsticks Inn where, in addition to a cake, they planned to get Santana drunk with lots of buttery beer. Almost the entire Quidditch team had agreed to take part in the party (and also because Quinn and Scorpius promised to bear all expenses). The exception was George Patton, who didn't like Santana for two aspects that were inherent to the girl: half-blood and gay. He agreed to play Quidditch with her, but not to be seen on social occasions.

Already in the village, Quinn and Rachel practically pushed Santana into the Three Broomsticks. The girl was surprised by the little party. Scorpius began to chant the welcome song to Santana, followed by the Slytherins' war song. Some other students watched the small party, which was also extended to Quinn, two days older than Santana.

"Who commissioned the death eaters party?" Lily, at three tables in the little party, rolled her eyes.

"My boyfriend, to begin with." Rose replied as she ate a piece of the snack.

"Poor Scorpius." Melissa Brown amended, not wanting to go against her best friend. "You have to live with these figures."

"Santana isn't a bad person." Al Potter said to the surprise of the others.

"Since when do you think so?" Lily asked in an indignant tone.

"No one here has ever tried to know her."

Suddenly, five large cups of butterbeer arrived at the table, to the surprise of those present.

"They sent these to you." The waiter served and pointed out the drinks.

Albus, Lily, Melissa, Rose and Hugo agreed. Lily was intrigued by the gesture, and she suspected it was some sort of prank that Santana had wrought, or at least a cynical way of giving her a message. Lily had no idea that her brother and Santana practice art defence almost every week and were becoming good friends. The beers were a courtesy offered by Santana because she was honouring the secret complicity with the Gryffindor boy.

"It sounds like death eaters are very generous." Albus smiled.

He and Santana crossed their gazes and greeted each other with a discreet nod.

...

"They had sex."

Sugar fired as the group headed toward the portion class.

"What?" Santana was confused by the sudden information.

"Sam and Brittany. They had sex!" Sugar repeated the gossip that circulated about the couple. "He told Finn, who told Puck, that he told the rest of the school."

Santana caught her breath and was silent. Quinn nuzzled her friend's arm before hugging her.

"San... I'm sorry."

"No..." Santana said moving away from her friends. "This is perfect. It's more than time to move on."

"If you want, I know of a girl who's crazy about you." Sugar offer.

"I'm not interested." Santana began to walk purposefully faster than her friends.

"But you said..."

"Shut up, Sugar," Quinn chided her. "Leave her alone."

Santana went to class and it was like she was on autopilot. She paid no attention to the Gryffindors' portion-share class. No wonder when none other than Lily Potter sat next to her on the bench. She just didn't care.

"There's no one else to do it with me."

"What?" Santana came back to reality for a few minutes.

"What world are you, Lopez? The professor said that he would like to make pairs with members of different houses. I needed to go to the bathroom, and when I came back, the pairs were already formed. There's only you left. "

"Oh..." Santana wasn't surprised by anyone from another house wanting to do a job with her. In general, her academic partner was always Quinn. Or Sugar, in the case of divination class.

"What's the matter with you?"

"Nothing that concerns you."

"OK. You can keep your depression as you please, but could you at least do the exercise? Some of us really care about the grades, Lopez."

"Is this portion is about?" Santana rubbed her cheek.

"Houses. We are going to make the formula and then, at the end, put the finger in the liquid. The water is supposed to turn red on my side and green on your side."

"What an idiot portion."

"It's not because of the use, it's because of the complexity in the preparation. There are only a few who can do this correctly, and whoever gets it can be invited to one of the professor's distinguished celebrations."

"And why would I like one of those snobbish and stupid parties? They say the worst students are called to serve at these parties, as a form of humiliation for not being better."

"Since when do you care about student justice?"

"Not you?"

Lily was taken by surprise. Was she a snob? She criticized the Slytherin girls and some of the other houses for being rich and arrogant. But she would be arrogant too. Lily sometimes benefited from being the daughter of Harry and Ginny Potter. As much as flattery came from other people, she accepted them. Being with Santana, who didn't care about these things, always baffled her.

Lily saw Quinn send a note to Santana, who opened it and smiled. It was a joke about Lily staying with Santana. Lily was annoyed, but decided to ignore and focus on the exercise.

"Ok." Santana sighed. "Let's get this over. The less time with you, the better."

Lily couldn't say that Santana wasn't serious. The personal discomfort with one another, however, didn't stop the girls to work in perfect harmony. As one read the recipe, the other separated the ingredients in an organized way, and even debated how best to put the mixture so that everything would come out in the perfect balance. In the end, Lily sighed in relief at the resulting white liquid, as it should be. She put her finger in the serving. Slowly, the portion was changing colour around the finger, getting more and more red.

"Oh, it looks like it worked." Lily was pleased. "Your turn, Lopez."

Santana put her finger and waited.

"That's..." Lily frowned. "There's something wrong..."

The portion is completely red.

"You must have done something wrong." Santana accused Lily, drawing the attention of other students.

"It's you who was all distracted! If there's anyone who missed something, it was you!"

"What's going on here?" Professor Horace Slughorn walked over to the girls' counter, but seeing the portion completely red. It didn't make sense.

Mike was the one who managed to finish the potion in the class before that, but it caught Horace's attention that his liquids turned blue, as if he had already incorporated the whole identity of the designated house. So why didn't this work with Santana? He put his finger in the potion and it turned green. The potion was perfect. In fact, Santana and Lily were the first and even the only pair to be able to finish.

The professor swallowed, set his bow tie, and tried to come up with an excuse, but nothing came to mind. If the formula was wrong, not even white would be. It was a perfect performance by two students whom Horace considered inviting to his famous Slug Club.

"Obviously the portion is wrong."

Hastily, Horace picked up the little cauldron and threw the liquid out.

...

The first Quidditch match of the year was between Gryffindor and Hufflepuff. No one could explain why the failed yellow team kept exactly the same line-up. If the keeper was weak, the line of chasers was disorganized, the beaters were sullied and a seeker who got lucky in a single game, the least that was expected was that changes in the team were made. They could demonstrate the rare humility the Slytherins had in the previous season by changing the team that failed, regardless of whether there were students from important families. The green team didn't win, but it did an excellent championship, recovering the honour and the esteem of the house.

Anyway, the same team of handsome but terrifying kids were collecting on the field. As they flew in their field, the Gryffindors made coordinated maneuvers waiting for the start of the match. There was a significant change from the previous season. As James Potter graduated, there were changes in the captaincy and position of keeper: Rose became responsible for the team and she promoted a surprising change: she placed Blaine Anderson as a keeper.

The match began, and Lily showed that she was sharper than ever. Dribbled easily the opposing line of defence and scored the first. The narration regarding the rest of the first half was not much different. Alternately, Lily Potter, Bail Onyo and Tiya McGlynn massacred the opposing team to the point of turning the first half with dismal 170 x 0. In the second half, Rose saw the Golden snitch and went after him while the score was dilated. Pollux, the yellow and black seeker, followed her. Out of pity or compassion, Rose slowed, letting the young man pick up the snitch. The score of the game was already so dilated in favour of the Gryffindors that the capture of the snitch by the opponent didn't make the slightest difference.

The red crowd celebrated the fact that they won a important game in the shortened championship.

"Let's face it, Finn, we won't be summoned to the Hogwarts team," Samuel lamented. "I wanted to go so much."

"There's a way," Pollux said. "I've been talking to Hugo and he said the muggle music choir is going to play in the cultural fair."

"What?" Finn became interested. "How?"

"The muggle choir, you know? Hugo plays piano and he was trying to convince me to get in the choir another day because I play bass and they need a band. "

Finn played drums. He was much better on the rhythmic instrument than he was playing Quidditch, though he would never admit that fact to himself. Suddenly the "B" plane was in front of his eyes. He would wait for the convocation, but if all else went wrong, he would try to enter the choir.

...

Scorpius and Quinn chatted amicably before the game between Slytherin and Ravenclaw. Santana watched by distance the seeker and the captain/keeper. The strategy was that even if Quinn saw the snitch during the first half, she wouldn't catch the winged ball to give the rest of the team the chance to show the moves for the call. She would extend the deadline also for the second time depending on the scoreboard. From the third time, she would play to win, because she was also under evaluation from Ginny Potter and Oliver Wood.

Santana didn't care about the scouts. She was more interested in playing by her competitive nature than to try a summoning she knew she couldn't get. At least she thought it wouldn't be possible for the supposed bias of the technicians involved. While stretching a little before entering the field and debuting the power of her 2001 Nimbus, Brittany went to her ex-girlfriend.

"Hi San."

"Hey," Santana replied dryly.

"How are you doing?"

"Not bad."

"You don't talk to me anymore."

"I don't know, Brittany. It gets difficult since you spend most of your free time with your tongue in that idiot's throat and doing other things more."

"You knew..." Brittany said quietly.

"The entire school knows because your perfect boyfriend doesn't know how to keep these things to himself. He had to boast to his friends."

"He's not like that. Sam's good for me and I kind of love him."

"Brittany, do you have something important to tell me?" Santana said stupidly, leaving the ex-girlfriend baffled. "Great. I'll see you in the field."

The game began with a long dispute in the midfield by the dispute of the ball. Unlike any other team, the Ravenclaws had two chasers who were veritable jugglers and jugglers on a broom. Mike and Brittany had the ability to leave the game plastic with the huge amount of dribbles they could do in opponents. The blue team was also the best at putting together strategies. They knew that the Slytherin set was better, so it was necessary to do something more in the field to pierce the strong defence and nullify the objective attack that counted on at least one differentiated player.

What the Ravenclaws couldn't foresee was that after Scorpius defended the first attack, the Slytherins all went down almost to the lawn, and the Goyle twins formed a kind of protective net in the bludger's control. The Slytherins swapped passes without effectively attacking. And when the Ravenclaw defence lost its patience, they opened a fatal breach, allowing, after a deadly triangle, Netunus Black to open the scoring. Santana played concentrated on behalf of the team. She didn't even retaliate against Brittany's two encounters over the first half. Instead, she used that as motivation to score two of the team's four goals.

In the second half, Quinn began to worry about the opposing seeker. The score was very fair, the game tied, even with the strategic change of the Slytherins that made the game more open and busy. Brittany managed to pierce the strong Slytherin block to score her first goal. She didn't have time to celebrate, because while she was distracted, Santana passed her like a rocket and cash. Quinn thought that was enough. She motioned for Scorpius, who answered with another. She was allowed to effectively hunt down the snitch instead of just disrupting and confusing the opponent. The pace of the seeker game was completely different from the rest of the team. It was as if she played another sport. Quinn began to take careful turns around the field, occasionally sidestepping the bludger. Then she realized that the snitch was right in the middle of the battle. She fired into the crumb of the field, confusing everything else, as if he were playing online, like a chaser. Mike was in possession with the quaffle when he saw Quinn flying toward him as if to mark him. At the last moment, he gave one of the most beautiful dribbles of the game, jumping on Quinn and the broom underneath. The students applauded the beauty of the play.

That was when Quinn opened her hand and showed the snitch. 230 x 40. Slytherins were ranked for the final against the Gryffindors.

"You want a tip?" Quinn said as she passed Mike on the way out of the field. "Entertain less and play more."

"You were lucky, Fabray." Mike retaliated.

"This wasn't lucky, Chang. We practice. We don't juggle."

"Take care of your life."

"That's all I do." She opened a superior smile.

"Do you take care of it or is your father caring for you?"

Quinn's blood boiled and she felt a huge urge to punch Mike. They drew their wand, but luckily, both of them, Scorpius slipped between them.

"If you fight, you'll be out of the call, Fabray. Think about it."

Quinn picked up her wand, then instinctively scratched her forearm.

...

"How's Quinn?" Al Potter asked.

"Well I think. It was far from the discussion and Quinn didn't want to say what happened." Santana practiced the correct gesture of the spell. "Ready, Potter?"

"Stupefy!" Potter snapped.

"Impedimenta!" Santana said.

A red lightning bolt shot out of his wand, which struck a blue beam from her wand. They fought for strength until Santana's protection spell began to overcome Albus Potter's attack. He broke it first. They did a few more rounds of exercise. Albus attacking and Santana using the impedimenta. Sometimes he would test her reflexes, and sometimes they would test how far the impediment was efficient. Sometimes the spells would collide, at other times the defence would crack the attack. Either the impedimenta was really efficient, or Santana who was too strong to make it be. Al Potter believed it was a junction of the two things.

"Does the impedimenta block an unforgivable curse?" Santana speculated.

"I won't risk it, Lopez."

"Try to cast a cruciatus against me."

"I don't know if it will work. The death eaters only used the cruciatus when the target was down. I never heard it be used in a duel."

"That's what the teacher said. Let's see if it even works in practice. "

"I don't feel comfortable using an unforgivable curse."

"You're not comfortable, but a death eater won't have the same kindness. Come on, Potter. Do not chicken out."

"Crucio!" Potter intoned, but Santana defended him easily. "Crucio !" The result was the same. "It's no use, Santana. To do that you have to really want to."

"Ok." She sighed. "I think we're good for today."

"Santana."

"What?" She said as she took a sip of water.

"I know you don't want to talk about it, but I get the impression it's a lot bigger than your love life." Santana didn't respond. She preferred to wait for his friend's compliment. Albus took his coat off the floor and pulled out a piece of paper. "Read that note."

"I don't want to see this, Potter."

"Take a look, please."

Hesitantly, Santana took the piece of paper and frowned when she read a note with her spelling, but she never wrote any of it.

"I never wrote that," Santana explained. "'Lily Potter is a much better chaser than I am. Santana Lopez,' Not even in your sister's best wet dreams would that be true!"

"It was your spelling on the note, Lopez. But look at that." Albus passed the tip of his wand in the note. "Finiti incantatem." Albus winked at Santana and showed the note again. "Do you know whose spelling this is?"

Santana looked once more at the note and tried to analyse the trace, trying to find some familiarity in it.

"I honestly don't know."

"It's mine. The point is that changing spelling is not a very complicated spell. It's a good job to imitate someone else's spelling, and that's the hard part of the spell, but execution itself is something any fifth grader can do."

"If you mean the note sent to Brittany was false, that's obvious! What does this prove? You say as if this type of spell was unheard of. A Goblin would identify it in a second!"

"Strictly speaking it adds nothing, you're right." Albus sat down in a chair. "But I can tell you that I have the survey of people who sent messages the day Brittany received the note."

"Again: so what? Dozens of wizards go owl post office every day."

"Aren't you even interested to know who set it up? Santana, have you ever stopped to think about who cares about your unhappiness, your frustration?"

"As far as I know, more than half of this school."

"But..."

"Listen, Al. I appreciate the effort you've made. Really. But that doesn't change the fact that Brittany doesn't want me anymore, even though she knows it was a trap for me. About that, I didn't even need research."

"But you don't even want to know why?"

Santana stared at her friend, thought for a moment, and sighed.

"No."

"Why?"

"Because that would make me even more miserable, I'm sure."

"Well, that's your choose, San. In any case, I strongly recommend that you start reading the entire newspaper, not just the sports part as you usually do. You're going to start connecting too many points."

Santana and Al Potter said good-bye, leaving the fake Slytherin intrigued. As their respective houses were in opposite places, so were their ways in the castle. Santana walked among the wide corridors lit with lanterns. It would not last much longer, for soon the lights would go out, indicating that it was time to go to bed. In a few more minutes, the teachers and the prefects of the houses would begin to make rounds, and the students caught walking around, who weren't going to the astronomy class, would be punished.

Santana tried to hurry, but stopped when she thought she heard a voice calling for help. She thought to ignore it, but the voice cried out for help once more. Santana cursed herself when she couldn't resist investigating. It seemed to her that the voice was coming from inside one of the rooms. Santana pressed her ear to the service door that the house elves used to store cleaning supplies and brooms. The door was locked.

"Alohomora," Santana whispered. "Maximum lumos." She said as she opened the door.

What she saw left her stunned. A Hufflepuff student was completely paralyzed, tossed on the floor of the small room, her clothes were dirty and twisted.

"For Merlin!" Santana went to the crying girl. "Finiti incantatem." She bent to allow the girl to move again. The girl hugged her and began to cry. "Hey... hey... it's okay. What is your name?"

"Marley... Marley Rose."

"Okay, Marley Rose. My name is Santana Lopez." Santana insisted on clarifying, even to prevent the girl from accusing her somehow in the future.

"I know... everyone knows who you are..." She said with caution, even in a situation where she was fragile. The fame that Santana carried was still terrible, even if she hadn't done any prank herself that year.

"What happened to you?"

"I was going to a meeting of Muggle music choir when a girl's gang got me. They... they hit me and left me here."

"When was that?"

"Yesterday."

"Oh." It was not for nothing that Marley was smelling bad. With her body paralyzed, she peed in her own clothes. "Who is this girl that implies with you?"

"Doesn't matter."

"It does matter!" Santana said firmly. "Who is she?"

"Kitty... Kitty Wilde."

"Well, that doesn't surprise me. That girl thinks she has a king in her belly." Santana helped Marley to her feet. "Very well, Rose. Lucky you, Hufflepuff gets in the way. We're getting out of here."

When Santana pulled Marley out of the cleaning supplies room, the torches were gone. That point of the castle turned into a disturbing pitch. Marley took Santana's hand as if her life depended on it.

"Lumos." Santana intoned and tried to walk as quickly as possible to the entrance of Hufflepuff's common room, which was in the castle basement. Luckily they didn't find anyone who could ask questions and have wrong conclusions. "You're delivered, Rose. See if you learn to defend yourself as fast as you can. You will need it. Believe me."

"Thank you, Lopez." Marley gave a faint smile. "I never thought you... you were cool."

"I'm not. And if you tell someone that, I'll be the one to lock you up in a dark room."

Marley nodded and said good-bye to Santana, kissing her cheek. Santana spent a lot of time making pranks with her colleagues to impose herself. Then, to defending herself from the enemies she created. When she actually tried to save a person, she was almost killed. By helping Marley, and still be appreciated by such, it brought about a well-being that Santana had never felt before.

...

"Want to make a bet, Lopez?"

Lily was in her uniform holding the brand-new broom her father had given her for the new season.

"It would be great, Potter. I'm crazy about getting a tattoo on your forehead."

"What would you write on my forehead?"

"Something about your idiocy."

"I would make a new tattoo on your arm. I would simply write Gryffindor. By the way, if my team wins, I'd love to see you wear Gryffindor T-shirts for the whole semester. I think it would be revealing."

"What? Why?"

"Considering that you are one of us."

"Now you're delirious, Potter!" Santana smiled, finding that genuinely hilarious.

"The portion, Lopez. You may have ignored it, but I haven't. It was perfect and worked as it should. You're not a Slytherin. Something gone wrong with you and the hat."

"Okay, Potter, let's do this. If your team somehow manages to win from mine, I'll let you paint me red if you want. But if my team wins, you'll wear green and still be a maid at my house party, just like I did after you tattooed my arm with that nasty phrase."

"Deal!" Lily and Santana clenched their hands to seal something that was beginning to become a tradition between the two. "Just one more detail, Lopez, about your broom. The trepidation you feel when you try to reach full speed is a malfunction, but it doesn't compromise your performance. It bothers, I know, but the broom responds as it should."

"How do you know?" Santana frowned.

"L.L.P II, Lopez." Lily pointed to the little one enrolled in the wood of the 2001 Nimbus. "It means Lilian Luna Potter II. I sold it last summer at the Diagon Alley store when I got my new one. Don't you think this is ironc? That you just bought it?"

...

The glass was filled with buttery beer smuggled inside the school. The first to drink directly in the cup was captain Scorpius Malfoy. Next to drinking was Quinn Fabray, the brilliant seeker who managed to make a historic dribble over Rose Granger-Weasley to catch the golden snitch in the middle of the fourth quarter when the game threatened to turn to the Gryffindors. Next to drink was Santana Lopez, the game's biggest chaser with eight goals scored. One by one, the rest of the team was drinking beer in the glass of the cup, in a ritual that had not been seen in that house for nine years. No one cared if that was a half season championship. Problem of who arranged it that way. The value of the title was the same.

Meanwhile, a battered and defeated Lily Potter, painted in green ink and a temporary tattoo on her arm with the words "Slytherin's Bitch", accompanied the celebration with a tray of food in hand. Each one who got a snack still did a little evil like pulling a lock of hair, poking, pinching, or throwing some liquid on her head. Lily tried to resist that torture with all the courage she had and not shed a tear.

"Do you know bitch?" A sixth grader approached for a snack. "Since you are our slave, how about you give pleasure to your master right there in the corner? If you're good, it'll only take five minutes."

He wasn't the first guy to do this kind of sexual offense, and she was impassive in the face of all obscenities. But when the abused student lost the notion of decency and tried to grab her butt, Lily reacted instantly. She hit the tray on the aggressor's face, breaking his nose into the blow. Food scattered on the floor, just like the blood on the tray.

"You bitch!" The aggressor's friend reacted. "Crucio."

Lily felt her body lose all control when a horrible pain took over. She had no way to defend herself, since she had handed the wand to Santana as part of the bet. Even if she had it, the pain is so intense that she would be unable to sketch any reaction. The agony, however, didn't last long. Lily saw that the attacker flew in front of her, bumping into the wall. A confusion was established in the Slytherin common room.

"If anyone touches her, it'll regret being born," Santana told her colleagues. She had two wands aimed at the group of boys looking for a fight. In their rear were Quinn and Scorpius. They made a protective barrier. Rachel pushed some of her friends home to get to the four of them. She caught Lily by the arm to help her up.

"Enough of celebration!" Scott Black, the head of Hogwarts, made itself heard. "Santana, get this girl out of here. The prank is over."

The group left the common room with their wands raised to prevent any surprise attack. No Slytherin dared to face them. Partly because it wasn't in the nature of any of them to get into a free fight, partly because they knew Scorpius, Santana, and Quinn were witches of great ability, and it would be very difficult to knock them down.

Once out of the communal room, Lily hugged Rachel and wept freely. Not even in her worst dreams she imagined to suffer an unforgivable curse. She had heard many stories. It began by her own father, who survived the final one thanks to her grandmother inheritance. Lily had also heard from her aunt Hermione about how much the cruciate curse was horrible. She knew that Longbottom's parents were never able to recover after being tortured day after day. The short time Lily was subjected to the cruciatus, she understood why the curse was called unforgivable. The intense pain made anyone want to die.

"I'm sorry." Santana said softly as she approached Lily and her sister. "I am really sorry. If I knew..."

"The worst thing is that Scott will do absolutely nothing against those guys," Scorpius snarled.

"What happened, anyway?" Rachel asked as Lily undid her embrace. "I just saw the moment Potter gave Ross a tray."

"He touched me," Lily explained still shakily.

"Idiot bastard," Quinn said between her teeth.

"Look, Potter, I'm really sorry. When I lost the bet, you and your friends made me very angry, but no one assaulted me. I would never wish that had happened here."

"It doesn't surprise me." Scorpius took a deep breath. "Doug is an imbecile who thinks that everyone needs to worship him because his family boasts for being a descendant of Slytherin."

"Is that appropriate?" Rachel asked.

"Half of the traditional Slytherin families think they are descendants." Scorpius shook his head. "San, follow her back to the Gryffindors. We'll try to sort the mess out," Scorpius advised.

"Okay." Lily held her shoulders. "Let's go?"

Lily nodded and followed Santana.

"I would never want that to happen." Santana reaffirmed when they were already further away from the Slytherin communal room and friends. She handed the pear wood wand with unicorn core to Lily. It was a beautiful piece, carved in the dagger, straight and well polished in the body.

"I know that. You're a brat, but you're not evil."

"You don't know me, Potter."

"I'm just getting to know you."

...

Ginny Potter and Oliver Wood took the lead during a special night to announce the Quidditch squad to represent Hogwarts in the School Cup. All the students were at their tables in their homes, anxious for the announcement.

"Whoever we call, we'd like it to come up here," Ginny said. "We would like to clarify that our convocation was made on the basis of what we have seen and also in our conversations with Mr. Puttus. It's a selection based on the merit of the athlete. Wood, please."

"Very well..." Wood looked at the students and unfolded a small paper with the list. "Seekers: Quinn Fabray of Slytherin, and Rose Granger-Weasley of Gryffindor."

So much applause for both. There was no controversy, for Quinn and Rose were unanimous in Hogwarts.

"Keepers." Wood continued. "Scorpius Malfoy of Slytherin and Gail Traves of Ravenclaw."

Scorpius was a certain name. There was some expectation for Blaine Anderson's name since he played good games. On the other hand, Gail was very good and with the advantage of having been playing in the position for a long time.

"Beaters: The Goyle brothers, Slytherin, Noah Puckerman, Hufflepuff, and George Lynn, Ravenclaw."

It was a surprise Puckerman had been chosen. Many people began speculating that it was a diplomatic call, so that students from all four houses had a representative. George Lynn was competent, but the Goyle twins were left in the position and certainly would be starters.

"Finally, the chasers. Lily Potter and Bail Onyo of Gryffindor, Brittany Pierce and Michael Chang of Ravenclaw, and Santana Lopez and Netunus Black of Slytherin.

If, on the one hand, Santana hardly believed she had been summoned, even though she knew she was one of the best players, if not the best school chaser, Finn Hudson was injured for not being remembered. His friend, who was a half-blood, was remembered and he wasn't? Something was wrong. Samuel was also restless. He was a handsome but insecure kid. Then he saw her girlfriend on the stairs beside her ex-girlfriend. They would be together again if he didn't do something. He had to be part of the Hogwarts caravan. But how? That was when he looked at Hugo: he who was part of the muggle coral. Why not?

...

"Rachel?"

Rachel looked at a timid girl who called her. She had large blue eyes, very thin brown hair, and at age 11 was taller than the Slytherin singer.

"Rachel Berry?"

"Yes?"

"Gee, I've been building the courage to talk to you for a long time. It's just that I watch you in Professor Schuester's class and I think you're so confident. After I heard you were the captain of the Muggle music choir, I wondered if I could have an audition."

"Oh, so you want to join our choir?" Rachel was excited. The girl was the first person to want to enter the choir since the activity was officialized at Hogwarts. "What is your name?"

"Rose, Marley Rose." She held out her hand.

"Nice to meet you, Rose. Look, I'm going to the choir right now. If you'd like to join me, you're most welcome."

The girl nodded at Rachel and smiled excitedly at the prospect of being in a place she might find truly amusing. Marley Rose was a Muggle born witch. Her father died when she was only two years old, and she attended a public school in the town of Derby. She was accustomed to a simple life. The mother worked as a kitchen assistant in a Mexican restaurant and waited for a vacancy in the public health system to perform bariatric surgery. She could not give much material comfort to her daughter, who grew up in a small rented apartment near the bus station, in a neighbourhood of cheap real estate. Marley Rose went to Muggle school, suffered bullying, enjoyed literature classes, listened to the radio, and had no friends.

The arrival of the Hogwarts acceptance letter changed everything in the life of mother and daughter. The girl thought she would instantly have more friends, since everyone would be like her. She barely learned that though witches had other logic, she was still a poor girl. In the first week of school, because of a foolish accident in transfiguration class, she caught the attention of the worst possible classmate, and became Slytherin Kitty Wilde's favourite target. She thought that if she could sing and overflow what she felt, things would improve and, as an addition, she could make some friends.

Marley stepped in the direction of Rachel, who was chattering on and on about the plans for the presentation they would make at school in order to gain a place in the School Cup entourage. When Rachel opened the door to the classroom, she was amazed at what she saw and instantly forgot about Marley. The room was full. With the veterans of the group were Samuel Evans, Finn Hudson, Tina Chang, the Ravenclaws Artie Abrams and Jane Hayward, the Hufflepuffs Ryder Lynn and the Slytherins Wade Adams and Jake Puckerman. The truth is that most of them were more interested in going to the school cup than actually being in the group.

"Welcome to our new choir!" William Schuester said excitedly. "It looks like we have a lot of work to do in this presentation, but I feel like we've gained the strength we needed."

...

The list seemed huge, which scared the members of the new selection of Hogwarts. It was a program of training, exercises and diet to be done at very well planned times. There was still the disciplinary clause: anyone who missed regular classes without a good excuse, or who was reported by the teacher for mediocre performance, would be out of the team.

"There's more!" Wood explained to the group. "To be truly integrated as a team, you will practice with regular partner. Not only this: you will seek to be together with your respective partner in the social activities of the school. Try to make at least one of the meals together, visit Hogsmeade as a team. If you take classes together, try to sit side-by-side."

Soon, the pairs were formed among the people who had more affinity. Quinn searched for Santana, Lily stayed with Bail because Scorpius chose Rose, obviously Brittany stayed with Mike, and so on. Watching all that, Ginny shook her head.

"It's all wrong! The purpose is for you to be together with someone you have no closeness to. Either you form pairs with this condition or I form them for you."

No one moved, causing Wood and Ginny to look at their notes. The redheaded woman smiled sarcastically and stared at the students.

"Malfoy and Travis." As the boys didn't move, Ginny clapped her hands impatiently. "Come on, stay side-by-side. We don't have all day." She returned the list and continued. "Fabray and Granger-Weasley, Ezra and Puckerman, Kanan and Lynn, Onyo and Chang, Pierce and Black, Lopez and Potter."

"I don't believe it!" Santana murmured and walked to Lily's side.

"I thought we were past this phase," Lily said cynically.

"It's not because we allied for one night that we're friends, Potter."

"Good to know that, Lopez. It really makes things easier for us," she mumbled to herself. "Headstrong!"

"Stuck."

"Arrogant." Lily raised her tone.

"Daddy's little girl." Santana also raised her tone, catching the attention of others.

"Rebel without a cause."

"Fuck you."

"Thick."

"Troll lover."

"Fake Slytherin."

"Hey!" Ginny called out. "You two stop it. The pairs are made. I don't care if you're going to curse all week, but you're going to be together. This is for the team! Now if you don't mind, I want five laps around the field and then a series of hundred sit-ups. "

"With brooms?" Brittany asked.

"No, Pierce. You will run around the field with your pair. If your partner stops, you stop, you helps he catch his breath until you complete all the laps." Ginny clapped her hands. "Go now, people! "

The team got up and the pairs began to run together.

...

"Ginny!" Neville caught the attention of her long-time friend when he saw her pass by the main hall of the school. "Hey! Ginny!"

"Hi Nell." She stopped and smiled. "Excuse me. I was distracted here with my notes."

"You're enjoying being coach, aren't you?"

"You can say I'm having a good time. I needed this change."

"I heard you formed pairs to team up."

"Ah yes. Some of them will try not to kill themselves at first, but in the end the result will be great. At least, that's how I expect it to be."

"Ginny!" Neville caught her friend's attention one more time.

"What's it?"

"Lopez and Lily? Don't know the risks that your daughter can run?"

"With all due respect, Nell, who knows about my daughter is me."

"What if she..."

"If she does, it will only show that you were wrong the whole time and possibly training the one who will want to destroy us."

"What are you talking about?"

"That some Hogwarts secrets are very well kept, others not so much. I already know you're playing Hudson's tutor."

"He's the one, Ginny."

"It's not where the evidence is pointing, Nell."

...

"Your sister is driving me crazy!" Santana raged at Al Potter. "She's bossy, she criticizes me all the time, she's got that top edge that annoys me."

"It's great to know you're both doing so well." He grinned. "Lily can be very stubborn, but I can assure you that you're not behind either. Don't think you're easy to deal with, Miss Lopez."

"You're just defending your sister."

"Just as you would defend yours, right?"

"Rachel? It depends..."

"Bullshit."

"She lives in a world of her own, where magic is used to make a special effect on the musicals she dreams of doing on Broadway."

"Oh, so she has no plans to stay in the UK after Hogwarts?"

"London is Shakespearean, and my sister is Streisandian."

"Streisandian? What is it?"

"Barbra Streisand? The muggle actress? The one with the nose?" Albus still didn't understand. "Nevermind."

"Santana." Albus changed the tone of the conversation. "How are things between you and Brittany?"

"Why do you ask?"

"You guys are practicing together."

"I don't know. From time to time the idiot attends the practice, and in those hours I feel like sending a bludger right in the face of that trouty mouth."

"Then why did'ot you do anything against him? I know you well enough to know that you don't like to leave things for free."

"Because, after all, I like Brittany. She's been my best friend for many years. If I do anything against the idiot, she won't forgive me."

Albus nodded and tried to focus on the workout of the week. While Santana continued to show impressive evolution in performing complex spells, he was in conflict. The Auror investigations had pointed to Amelia Evans. Amber Nox, Santana's stepmother, and Amelia are second cousins, and as far as they look, they aren't so close. Unfortunately, no auror could arrest someone because of a fake note. That didn't stop Harry Potter from ordering an unofficial investigation into their relationship and their motivation to interfere with Santana Lopez's dating.

...

Everything was ready for the duel of cultural groups. That was what was missing to close the Hogwarts delegation for the School Cup. In addition to the team and coaches, would be there Padma Patil and Neville Longbottom. Minerva McGonagall would go only at the opening of the event. The students were all at their respective tables with a ballot in their hands ready to vote.

The first group to perform was the Hogwarts Orchestra, also conducted by Filius Flitwick. The music was predominantly classical and only on rare occasions did the group make jazz numbers. As always, they made a perfect execution of a play by Libanio Mudfood, one of the most prestigious composers of the new generation. Despite that, it was a song with a hundred years. The orchestra remained to support the coral with frogs. As always, they did something that sounded ecumenical: a song by Ed Block, composer of the classic line that made unusual lyrics, such as "Double Double Toil and Trouble".

The Muggle music choir was the last. The band formed by Finn Hudson on drums, Samuel Evans on Guitar, Pollux on bass, and Hugo on piano, mounted their respective instruments in a magic pass. The band members began to play, and Finn was under the spell "sonorus" to broaden his voice. Yes, the drummer was the main male voice along with Rachel Berry. It's not because Finn had the best voice. The point was that he was the only kid who could tame the vocals and sustain a note without tinkering for more than five seconds.

Rachel counted and started singing Queen's "Somebody to Love" for two reasons: it was great music to get a choral arrangement and because vocalists Freddie Mercury and Brian May were actually Muggle-born wizards who chose the original world to stay in the wizarding world. Nobody understood the performance. Why did Brittany dance differently from everything else? Why did the group do choreography that looked more like an Indian line? Why did Rachel Berry sing like she wanted to cry? But the students even appreciated the magical effects and the fact that Mercedes was almost flung up because of a more accomplished buoyancy spell at the time she was supposed to give the final high note. Overall, it was a mess, but no one tuned out... too much.

"We'll never make it!" Rachel left the stage disappointed.

"At least we won a stage, right?" Hugo comforted her.

"Yeah, that's true." But an awkward performance wasn't enough for the little diva. She was a perfectionist and demanded no less from others.

"Come on, people." Finn walked among his colleagues. "Let's not be discouraged now. We went in there and did something completely new. Hogwarts has never seen a performance like this one. They saw that doing something new is difficult and risky. And we... we gave everything we got. We did our utmost. That's why we are winners."

The group, except Brittany, began to thrill with cheap motivational speech. Schuester embraced the student, who was also greeted by Longbottom. The choir made a chain of prayer, holding hands, while the teachers counted the votes deposited in the urn. The magical process accelerated things. They wrote the winner's name on paper and gave it to head mistress Miranda to announce.

"Very well, according to your wishes in this democratic process of choice..." She paused and adjusted her glasses. She didn't disguise her smile as she announced the name. "The chosen group to represent us at the cultural fair will be our traditional frog choir, coordinated by Professor Filius Flitwick."

The members of the frog coral celebrated while Flitwick thanked the other students with a slight nod. Behind the scenes, muggle choir, which had 16 members, would have to wait for the next opportunity to perform, and knowing that it would have less people interested.

...

"Why don't cool things ever happen to me?"

Neville watched his frustrated sudent. Finn was sitting in a chair with his head down. He did his best playing Quidditch and the team was a failure. He did his best in the few rehearsals with Muggle music choir, learned to sing. The assays were promising. And all for nothing. Again he failed.

"Because there are people who can only do their best when they are older." Neville sat down with Finn in the classroom. "Have I told you how I learn to use magic properly?"

"No sir."

"I was a huge messy loser whose only talent was dealing with plants. It was in the secret meetings with the Dumbledore Army that I learned to use attack and defence spells. I was 15 years old. And when Harry, Ronny and Hermione spent a year out as you-know-who fugitives, Ginny and I took on the resistance here inside Hogwarts."

"It was you who killed the you-know-who's snake."

The story was known throughout the wizarding world: how the then fragile and stilted, but upright Neville made the speech inviting everyone to resistance. During the battle, the legendary sword of Godric Gryffindor, who appears to the true Gryffidors in case of necessity, reached his hands. In one precise blow, when the horcrux Nagini was about to kill Ronny and Hermione, he cut the snake off, allowing Harry Potter to face the dark master on an equal footing and liquidate him once and for all.

"I could never do that, sir," Finn lamented.

"You don't know yet, Hudson, but you have a great fade. I saw when you made that speech to your friends. Even losing, you supported them. Don't you see how powerful this is? I believe that you are destined to do more incredible things than I ever thought. I believe you can rid the world of tyranny and that your example will perpetuate itself for many years."

"As?"

"I don't know, Finn. I just know it's within you." Neville smiled confidently. "But tell me, would you really like to go to the cup?"

"I'd love to, Professor. But how?"

"I have the right to take an assistant if you like."

"Really, Professor?"

"Of course. It's going to be hard work and I'm going to need help."

"If so, of course I accept."

"Great. Oh, and don't forget to put a suit on your suitcase."

"Why?"

"Because of the ball! It's one of the official events."

"Oh. I mean, like a prom to go with a girl?"

"Yes, it's the tradition, unless you... like..."

"No! I like girls."

"OK! Any girl in mind?"

"I do not know. There are so many beautiful girls. Fabray... Potter... "

"Lily Potter?"

"Yes." Finn said timidly. "She's beautiful, but she never looked at me."

"Really? Maybe your luck is about to change."


	6. Year 4 - part 3

Year 4 part 3

The delegation left the castle to the lake, and boarded the old ship used by Hogwarts on excursions to other coastal countries. The problem was that transportation, even at high speed and magically crossing paths on land, rocked so much that it made people sick. Santana and Brittany, for example, clung to the walls and closed their eyes in the hope of taming the unpleasant sensation. Lily and a few more took a medicinal portion before boarding. The medicine made her drowsy, but at least she kept her stomach in place. Quinn didn't even feel the swing. The Fabrays are of a lineage of wizarding sailors. Even if economic activity were no longer this, direct descendants insisted on maintaining certain traditions. Russell was a tough and absent father, but if he had something he taught his daughter was to sail.

"You really do honour our house, San." Quinn smiled at her friend. "It's green even in the colour of your skin."

"Why don't you shut up and-" Santana raised her hand to her mouth and ran to the waste bucket. "Why didn't we go by plane? Or by train? Plane works, you know? It's a very good Muggle invention."

"Because that's the best way to travel to Durmstrang" Mike replied, offering a colleague's handkerchief.

"I hate that! I hate it! "Santana snarled at all the discomfort before she wiped her mouth.

"Stop complaining!" Finn grimaced. He was one of those who didn't feel the rocking.

"Shut up, gatecrasher!" Santana snapped.

"Guys!" Neville called attention. "Keep civility, especially you, Miss Lopez. No reason for fights."

Santana grunted and wrinkled her nose at the teacher and the protégé. Finn Hudson embarked as Neville's assistant. In addition, Lion Bates was chosen to be the team assistant. in other words, he was responsible for the brooms, for bringing water and doing other services that the team needed.

"Ladies and gentlemen." Oliver Wood went down to the hold of the ship. "Durmstrang Institute in sight."

The ship anchored beside the Durmstrang barge, on the docks near the castle. The Hogwarts students got out of the ship and were amazed at the imposing Viking-style ship that was next door. It was the main physical transportation of that school, as the Express was the transportation traditionally used at Hogwarts. The region was mountainous. The castle wasn't as imposing as Hogwarts. It was smaller, but the mountains surrounding the building helped in the good impression. There was ample flat ground on the way between the castle and the docks. It was where the Quidditch Stadium was located (much better and larger than Hogwarts) and the school grounds.

Mikail Bjelic, one of the teachers organizing the event, welcomed the British delegation. He called attention to having a well-drawn beard on the sides of the face, forming a spiral, and a huge goatee. Bjelic greeted Neville as head of the delegation and led the students to the living quarters, which lay on the level ground between the castle and the docks. As the castle didn't have enough room to house so many delegations, the institute offered luxurious tents to the students, leaving only the directors and teachers to occupy the castle's internal dependencies. Each school had two tents. There was also a larger one, where the equipment of all delegations could be stored.

Although a camp appeared at first glance, the village of the delegations was very well organized and functional. The lawn was covered by temporary tile, forming small streets. In front of the village of the delegations was set up a large square, where the cultural fair would take place. The side of the stadium was permanently paved, with a convenient outer cover to protect the public that would arrive to enter and watch the games.

"Okay, guys, women in the right tent, boys on the left." Ginny nodded.

"How do we fit into this stall?" Brittany asked, causing many to roll their eyes. Sometimes she forgot about the transgressions of physics the wizarding world did.

When the girls entered the tent for them, they were dazzled by size and comfort. It was a two storey space with an entrance hall, kitchen and two bedrooms on the first floor. On the second floor were three more bedrooms and a spacious shared bathroom. Each tent would also have two domestic elves to do the housekeeping and kitchen service. Ginny Potter and Padma Patil checked the place. The rooms, of reasonable size, were enough to house four people in comfort. The number of beds available exceeded the number of occupants. In this way, she and Padma could stay in the tent with the girls and control the students better. The coach and the healer occupied a room on the second floor and left the girls at ease to organize the other spaces. There were six girls from the choir and five from the team. Santana, Quinn and Brittany chose to stay together. Santana was still not completely comfortable with Brittany, but the forced coexistence in training helped bring them closer again. Rose and Lily shared the second-floor bedroom that stood next to Padma and Ginny. The choir girls occupied the remaining beds and rooms.

"Bunk beds," Santana complained. She wasn't used to sleeping in them. "I think I'll keep this bed down and you two can share the other bunk."

"No, ma'am," Quinn snapped. "Let's get lucky to know who will have a bed just for you."

Three rounds of jokempô were enough to determine that Brittany would have a bunk for herself. An extra round gave Quinn the bed on top of the other bunk.

The boys' tent was more problematic. With nine boys from the team, six more from the choir and more the two extras ones, there were missing beds for so many guys. The teachers could sleep on the castle, but the students didn't. The Regulation made clear the maximum size of delegations. Hogwarts was on the edge. The school didn't prepare to distribute students according to internal rules. That was the British's problem.

"You sleep in the extra bed!" Ezra Goyle said to Finn. The extra bed was more for a sleeping bag.

"Why would I sleep in an extra bed shit that hardly fits me?" Finn raged.

"Because you are a gatecrasher."

Finn wouldn't sleep on the extra bed, but in the sofa in the living room. And even if the girl had nothing to do with it, it didn't stop Finn from feeling angry with Santana for charging him as gatecrasher from the moment she knew he was in the delegation. Bad nicknames always avenged.

...

Delegations were arriving throughout the day. The first one to land in Durmstrang was from Kodolvstoretz, Russia. The Russians were considered traditionalist and purist wizards. Ironically, the largest country in the world had one of the smallest wizarding societies. The Russians also had the narrowest minded one. Even so, it had a seat in the International Witchcraft Confederation (WU), whose headquarters were established in Ireland, and followed the most important international recommendations.

The Russians had many similarities with the Scandinavian society that served mainly to Durmstrang. Unlike the Scandinavians, however, who cultivated Viking traditions and passions, Russians were pragmatic, articulate and objective. There was no ethnic diversity in the Russian delegation, which featured boys and girls in skins as white or more than Brittany Pierce. People of other ethnicities were settled in small colonies, signifying that they would never really belong to that community. The Russians rarely married witches of other nationalities or with muggles, even those of more liberal conduct. It was said that this was the reason for the lack of half-blood and Muggle-borns among them.

Koldovtoretz students' dresses were dark blue tunics and black pants for the boys, and red and white dresses with gold accents with the school's symbol for the girls. Some, who appeared to be the eldest, wore a pointed hat.

"Girls start wearing pointed hats at the age of 16." Rose explained to the girls on the team as they walked through the village.

"Why?" Lily asked.

"That's when they reach the age of marriage. It is a symbol of maturity."

"16 years old? For Merlin!" Santana grimaced.

"Well, our maturity age is 17. We're not that far. And it doesn't mean that they are going to marry at 16. Only they can have legally sexual relationships with older men from that age. There's a difference between one thing and another," Rose pointed out. "The Russian community is the most closed of our world. Incidentally, Santana, I need to warn you about one small detail: they condemn homosexuality and aren't friendly with half-blood or Muggle-born. They were my mother's worst opponents in the diplomatic field."

"It sounds like Voldemort's wet dream." Santana grunted. "How can such a community exist?"

"Antiquity and a lot of isolation, I guess." Rose shrugged. "But think of the irony: You-know-who would be treated as a second-class citizen in Russia."

"I bet and win that there are a lot of gay Russians who need to do everything hidden."

"It's quite possible." Lily agreed with Santana.

"Anyway, the Russians are the best portion developers in the world."

They passed the tent occupied by the Brazilians of Castelobruxo. The girls found it interesting that there was nothing that referred to the stereotypes of the Brazilians: there was no batucada and no naked woman swirling in sequins. There were many young, handsome, lively young people with friendly smiles. Brazil had the most ethnically diverse community in the world. It was also the country most open to migration.

The Brazilian Wizarding Congress was on the Central Plateau, as was the "Muggle" political (dis)organization. This was just a coincidence. For the "Muggles" it was a question of politics of internalization. For the wizarding community, it was due to the region's great mystical energy. The "Muggles" were in a city called Brasilia. The Brazilian Wizarding Congress was in Alto Paraíso, where it had one of the largest fully wizarding cities in that country. The "Muggles" who were touring and smoking marijuana (among other cheap ones) in Chapada dos Veadeiros said that it was a UFO spot there. The truth was that they were so stoned, their senses so altered, that they could glimpse the movement of the wizarding city of Alto Paraíso.

As in the United Kingdom, muggles and wizards could marry in Brazil. But unlike the United Kingdom, Muggles were forced to sign a contract in which they had to renounce "Muggle" life to live in the wizarding world with their partners. There were many muggle functions in the Brazilian wizard cities, and most agreed to sign the contract. Those who didn't accept were oblivious, just like the wizard. This policy was supported by the International Confederation of Wizards and was considered an example, a successful case of this type of relationship. The British, the liberal rebels of the wizarding world, formed the most indecisive community about Witchcraft policy: perhaps they had too many wars to reach a consensus. Proportionally speaking (ratio of total population to territorial space), the British formed the largest wizarding community in the world. But in absolute numbers, the largest community was the Brazilians.

"I hope they have chosen to showcase the cuisine at the cultural fair." Rose dreamed up. "Remember when Roxanne brought coconut sweet from Brazil?"

"Oh... I remember." Lily smiled. Roxanne Weasley was the daughter of George and Angelina. She was part of an exchange program in Castelobruxo, and returned to England with her bag packed with goodies.

The tents of Uagadou had some animagus because of the ease of the African students with this type of magic. It was also a kind of tourist attraction enshrined in the African community. Santana was curious to see a student making a sort of ballet while controlling the flotation of the bag into the tent. She found it so curious and fascinating that she couldn't resist.

"Hey you!"

"Yes?" The girl responded by revealing Uganda's strong accent.

"How can you do it without a wand?"

"Wand is an object symbol of colonization. We do not need her." The African schoolgirl said with her chin up as she held the suitcase in the air.

"Ok... whatever... but how?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Because I can do wandless magic, but I can't control it. Everything explodes. On top of that, I get very tired."

"Why, my dear. Any wizard can do wandless magic. You Europeans are capitalists and lazy. They created the wands to sell around and still created a law on top of that. Everything for you to impose."

"Okay?" Santana frowned, more impressed by the girl's singular arrogance than necessarily offended. "But how?"

"Do you really want to know? See to me tomorrow after the official opening of the tournament."

"I'll be there. What is your name?"

"Adila Amondi."

"Nice to meet you, Amondi." Santana held out her hand. "Santana Lopez. I'm from Hogwarts."

"I imagined you are British, with this imperialist accent." Adila blinked and returned the greeting.

"See you tomorrow."

Santana waved to Adila and ran after her friends, who were standing farther on, watching Santana's interaction with the African girl in the distance. Rose and Quinn were curious, but Lily and Brittany had expressions beyond mere curiosity. A more observant observer might say they were jealous.

"Who is that girl?" Brittany first asked the question that was on the tip of Lily's tongue.

"Did you see that they can do magic without wands and without losing control? I thought it was impossible!"

"Merlin did it," Rose said with some disdain.

"Yeah, but we don't and they do."

"Of course they can do magic without wands. They do any simple spells after dancing for two hours. Not mention that do magic without a wand is very, very tiring." Rose was still skeptical. "Imagine in a duel? While we just think and point, they need to do a ballet first. What is more efficient? They are great at self-transfiguring and have a particular relationship with astronomy. Other than that, there is nothing else that really draws my attention to this delegation."

"What's catching you, Weasley?" Santana folded her arms.

"The Japanese delegation!" Rose pointed discreetly at the tent of Mahoutokoro's students.

Their delegation hadn't even arrived 15 minutes ago, and the space in the tents was all custom and organized. The students wore a kimono-like outfit. There were at least four uniform colours of the Japanese delegation. As in the martial arts, every time a student advanced a grade, the colour of the uniform changed. Only, instead of black, the maximum grade was the gold uniform. There was a single person in gold amidst pink, blue, red, and purple clothing. Probably the golden woman was head of the delegation.

"It's the team to beat." Rose watched. "Durmstrang's boys are the strongest physically and have an great keeper, but the Japanese are the most skilled team. There is a Quidditch Championship among Asian schools, and they won the last seven ones."

"How do you know all this?" Brittany asked.

"When Aunt Ginny said to study our opponents, she didn't mean she was going to study the opponents and then pass on the most appropriate tactics. She wanted us to search by ourselves. But apparently me and Mike are the only ones who did our homework."

"Rose, sometimes you're too boring." Lily smiled slightly and hugged her cousin.

"I know."

...

The first day didn't have much to do. There was no time for the different delegations to meet each other, so each group was left with its own peers. Earlier in the evening, coaches and monitors gathered at Durmstrang Castle for a technical conference on the championship, which would be followed by a welcome dinner. It was full opportunity for the students in the tents.

"Vodka!" Puckerman showed the bottle he had packed in his luggage. He threw the vodka in a bucket and conjured the drink so she filled the container to the brim. He turned on the radio and started a party in the boys' tent. Almost all Hogwarts students, except for Scorpius and Rose, were in the room dancing and drinking shots of vodka. Some gave themselves over to the party and others. Much of them, like Netunus, Puck, and Mike, was drinking. Others, like Santana and Quinn, were drinking a little, just to have some fun. Lily drank only one dose, Finn was the only one who remained completely sober. All of the Quidditch team, except Lily, had already gone to at least one of the famous secret parties organized by the Puckerman's gang.

In the middle of the party, when most were already fairly drunk, Puck took the empty bottle of vodka and decided to play the traditional game seven-minute in paradise. The rules were already known: Each would turn the bottle and where the mouth pointed, these people would have to kiss in the mouth for at least seven seconds, it didn't matter if they were of the same sex or not. If the pair repeated, they would be entitled to seven minutes in paradise in one of the tent bedrooms. It was the party time when boys had a better chance of having sex. It worked best when the group was more or less cohesive, but that wasn't the case with those students. Few people were sexually active, as was Puck, Brittany and two other members of the choir. Most had had some kind of experience but remained virgins, like Santana, Quinn and Mike. But there were a few, like Lily, who had never even kissed in the mouth. Still, Lily agreed to join in because she thought it would make her more sociable. She was nervous about what might happen. She was 14 years old, beautiful, flirtatious, and yet she never accepted any suitor.

The game began. Quinn kissed Puck. Mike kissed Netunus. Ezra kissed Brittany. Gail kissed Sarah from the choir. Finn kissed Quinn. Puck kissed Iris from the choir. Santana turned the bottle and thought of Brittany. The Ravenclaw girl and Samuel were still dating, but he was not in the delegation and she was on a wheel playing kissing other people. For Santana, this was a clear sign that Brittany's relationship might be in danger, or she wouldn't agree to be there. Santana turned the bottle. Thought. She wished. The bottle stopped.

"Santana and Lily!" The boys were excited to see the first pair of girls kissing.

"Oh! What is it?" Santana complained, leaving Lily embarrassed and half humiliated by the preliminary rejection.

That wasn't how Lily imagined the first kiss. She wanted a lake, a picnic, romantic music. But she was 14 years old and had a reputation as a prude. At least, who knows, it might have been that Santana was gentle, despite the coarse personality peculiar to her. As they were side-by-side, all Santana needed was to turn her face and press her lips against Lily's for seven seconds. She only pressed her lips together. He did not move, made no mention, and held Lily's face. What a stupid first kiss! Lily's eyes widened. She felt angry at herself for having agreed to participate in that stupid game.

"Your turn, Potter."

Lily spun the bottle hoping it would fall on anyone else, except Santana. Fate could be cruel at times.

"Ah, fate has spoken!" Puck celebrated. "We have the first couple who will enjoy seven minutes in paradise. Girls, be quick and take pictures. If you need help, I'll be available."

The boys shoved them both into one of the bedrooms. Santana could hear from outside the boys laughing and Puck assigning someone to fire the stopwatch. That was the least important thing. Lily had her back to her in exactly the same room as the girls' tent. The difference was that it was occupied by boys, things were scattered and had a certain smell...

"Lily?" Santana asked, touching her colleague's shoulder. "Look, they're going to leave us locked up here for seven minutes, but that doesn't mean we need to do anything. We can just sit and wait. That's what I did once."

Lily turned to Santana, revealing her damp eyes. That startled the fake Slytherin.

"What is it?" Santana sounded worried and Lily cried even harder.

"It was a terrible first kiss!"

"Oh... seriously?" The tone of voice changed. Now it was Santana who was rightfully feeling like a bad person. "Excuse me. I'm sorry!" She pulled Lily closer, who couldn't resist and allowed himself to be comforted. Santana held Lily, wrapping her subtly in a slow imaginary dance between two girls who were about the same height. Then Santana took her friend's chin gently and looked at her. "Can I try again? I swear I'll try my best. I don't want you to have a bad memory of your first kiss."

"So worried about your fame, Lopez?"

"No. I'm more worried that I was a jerk when I should've be. I had an incredible first kiss with Brittany, and I think everyone deserves a moment like this. Let me try again. The right way."

In Lily's nod, Santana pressed her lips to hers. This time with more delicacy and calm. She began gradually to move her lips, inviting the other to do the same dance. Lily's heart was racing, butterflies exploded. That was a real kiss. It wasn't the scenario she imagined, nor the circumstances, but the reactions were exactly as she imagined, as Rose and her cousins one day described what a kiss was. Lily could feel the electricity in her body and the euphoria. Especially when she felt the tip of Santana's tongue timidly teasing her lips. The moment left her motivated to do the same and the two tongues touched each other. Santana broke the kiss briefly, looked at Lily, tucked a lock of red hair behind her ear, and kissed her with more action, this time looking for more contact. Lily followed the pace, feeling her legs tremble. She could kiss Santana that way for hours. And even if her legs couldn't stand it anymore, she could continue to kiss in the ground.

Santana, on the other hand, also had the desirable reactions in the body: the butterflies, the electricity. But there was also something else so deep that her young mind still didn't have the emotional intelligence to decipher: that of belonging. All Santana knew was that she had never felt that about Brittany. Lily, somehow, was different.

"Wow!" Lily whispered as the second kiss was broken.

Santana wanted to say something, but she was speechless. In a way, she was frightened. They didn't have time to elaborate what had happened in that room. The door opened, Santana moved as if by instinct. Without looking at Lily, she turned her back and left the room. Lily also left, confused by everything that had happened.

"Aren't you going to play again?" Brittany asked Santana without even disguising her jealousy.

"No."

"And you Lily?" Finn asked hopefully. She didn't know if she really liked the girl or was being influenced by Neville. She knew Lily was a pretty girl and wouldn't bother to date her.

"I'm going to the girls' tent."

Lily's departure made the boys start making fun of Santana, calling her incompetent. The fake Slytherin also decided to leave the party. She was no longer in the mood to continue drinking and didn't want to kiss anyone else. She stepped into the girls' tent in time to see Lily closing the door to the bedroom she shared with Rose. Santana thought about knocking on the door and talking to Lily, but what exactly she would say? The kiss was better than expected. And? What did that mean? Why did she still feel Lily against her body as if it burned, but in a good way? She went downstairs and went straight to the bedroom she shared with Quinn and Brittany. She lay on the bed, turned sideways, and closed her eyes trying to forget that night.

Santana and Lily would never have guessed that after they left, the party would be hotter. Brittany kissed Mike for more than seven seconds for anyone to see. Quinn decided to got away from the game, but for that, she agreed to pay a prank that was to do strip tease and to stay in only her panties and bra. Some of the boys in the choir got excited and left alone in their underwear, thinking that Quinn would dance with them and let them touch her. Instead, she picked up her own clothes and left the party. With few people left in the bottle, the seven minutes in paradise got easier. Glory had to kiss Puck. Puck turned the bottle and fell into Glory. He celebrated and led the girl into the bedroom.

"Here's the deal: you kneel down and suck my dick, or you take off your panties and let me do it. You choose."

"It wasn't just for us to kiss?" The girl was frightened.

"Kissing is out there, here it's about sucking. So? What is going to be? Either you choose or I choose for you."

The girl believed that she had no choice and kneel.

Meanwhile, Bail entered the room. The monitors were coming. The party is over. There was a rush. The girls immediately went back to the tent next door, and the boys ran to hide the traces of the party that would be punishable. Neville and Oliver found a considerable mess in the room and soon understood what had happened, but decided to look thick, after all, they were just boys. All they did was send everyone to sleep and rest for the opening ceremony. They didn't think to inspect the rooms. If they had, they would find a girl who shouldn't be in that tent, doing something she wasn't prepared.

Mike and Finn entered the room where Puck and Glory were completely oblivious to the rush that had just happened. They found their friend just wearing his pants.

"Hey guys!" I said as if nothing was happening.

Finn, red-faced, watched the girl embarrassed and humiliated.

"Go away." Finn opened the door for Glory. "Stay away from that asshole."

Glory started to cry and ran out of the boys' tent. Mike was completely drunk and didn't even realize what he had witnessed. He simply threw himself on the bunk bed. Finn, on the other hand, was sober. He may not have interpreted the act as he should, but he knew Puck well enough to know that his friend tended to see the girls as mere pieces of flesh. Girls, Puck's vision, existed to be copulated.

"I can't believe you missed the chance to lose virginity." Puck tapped his friend's shoulder. "She would have done it for you. We could do more. we could stick to all the holes and, in the end, she would still thank us."

"Dude, what's wrong with you?" Finn felt disgusted by his friend. "Didn't you see that the girl had no floor? It isn't right."

"It's just sex, Hudson." Puck moved back and forth with his pelvis. "I do it, Sam does, Sam's girl does, by the way, that chick was so loose that she would give it to anyone at the party."

"I know what you and Sam do it. But I don't want it this way, without the girl wanting it too. "

"Who said she didn't want to? You're a loose sentimentalist, Hudson."

"No Puck, I'm just more man than you are."

...

The opening ceremony of the school cup was at the Quidditch stadium, where the Durmstrang's head master made a speech, the Scandinavian students made a performance with fighting simulation and fire. The school girls did a more vigorous dance number than expected from the invited delegations. The games were announced and, finally, a hearty lunch was served in which the delegations and guests were able to enjoy.

Scorpius Malfoy, as Hogwarts captain, took the envelope from the head master and showed it for the team. The championship format consisted of two groups of four teams. There would be games between the teams of the same group, with the first two qualifying for the semifinals. That is: the first of group A would face the second of group B. Hogwarts fell in group B along with Ilvermony, Koldovstoretz and Uagadou. There were two good things: the first was that Hogwarts managed to avoid the two strongest teams: the Japanese and the Scandinavians. The second is that the Group B games would only start in two days.

"We have a field recognition training today at eight o'clock." Scorpius informed the others. "So no partying today or tomorrow."

The last party changed the moods of the members. Many were hangovers and others were dealing with the consequences of the kiss play. Finn stopped talking to Puck because of the episode involving Glory. Mike couldn't face Netunus after they kissed in jest. Quinn wanted to erase from her memory the fact that she had kissed both Puck and Finn. That, to her, was worse than being left alone in panties and bra. Brittany kissed half of the party, minus the person she really wanted. Santana and Lily, even having experienced the sweetest moment of that party, couldn't talk about it.

Santana spotted Adila during the opening lunch but decided to talk to her alone after the event. She approached Adila when she saw the African school seeker alone near the entrance to the woods near the camp of the delegations. The Angolan girl was in official school dresses in red, yellow and green in black, which was far more interesting than Hogwarts' graceless black and gray uniform.

"Adila?"

"Oh, so the colonialist showed up." The older girl blinked.

"Don't call me like that. My family is immigrant, did you know that?"

"Tell me, do you relate more to British culture or to the culture of your immigrant family?"

"With British culture..."

"Colonialist!" Adila smiled at her own mockery.

"Well, you said you would show me how to do magic without a wand."

"Do you have time?"

"I have the afternoon off. What about you?"

"According to the schedule, our recon training is one hour before yours. I think you'll get to feel your level."

Santana had no idea, but Adila Amandi was one of the featured students of Uagadou, the largest (in size) witchery school in the world. Adila was 18 years old, she was a senior and had established contacts for sociological research in all the witchcraft schools in the world. Besides, she was one of the seekers of the Quidditch team.

"Say, Colonialist, what do you know about magic without the use of a wand?"

"Not much," Santana confessed. "That Merlin knew how to conjure without a wand, that it's difficult to control, that it spends a lot of energy, and I speak from experience."

"So what you know it's nothing!" Adila laughed. "Did you know that many of the Chinese also make magic without wand? Did you know that South Asians are the most advanced wizards in the enlightened understanding of magic? Oh, did you know that the Iranians have the most progressive and democratic school of witchcraft in the world?"

"No."

"Brits..." Adila shook her head. "Do you at least know how your body catalyzes magic?"

"By the elements?"

"No, idiot!" Adila took a pine from the ground and placed it on a rock. "For the energy points. What do they teach at Hogwarts that you have not yet learned something so basic?"

"I don't want to be a healer! Why should I have to know it? Maybe I'm more worried about doing important things." Santana was offended. Hogwarts was considered the best school of witchcraft in the world. How did that girl dare say they were unprepared?

"What is important? Know how to duel? You Europeans have had more civil wars from all the continents together. It's easy to imagine reason. It's no surprise that you are behind almost all the restrictions and bureaucracy of international agreements. You have so much yearning to regulate, to duel, to bureaucratize that you have turned away from the essence of magic." Then she pointed to the pine on the rock. "Try it."

Santana took a deep breath, reached for the pine.

"Accio pinho!" The dried fruit flew like a rocket, passed over Adila's head, and went crashing violently into a tree.

Adila shook her head and placed another pine on the same rock. She walked to Santana to stand beside the British. She took a deep breath, straightened her posture with one foot in front of the other, gave a brief dance with her hand, and pointed her index finger to the pine. The fruit began to float gracefully toward her. In a way, Rose was right: conjuring without a wand was neither practical nor quick. Wands enhanced and sped up spells because their action was catalytic. The magic became more fluid and powerful if the wizard could be perfectly compatible with the characteristics of the magic material from which the wand was made. The instrument was the complement of the driver.

Apparently things were done differently on the African continent and, as Adila reported, in China. Some of the African students refused to use wands for a political act. They said that it was a colonialist imposition that kept them from their own traditions. The magical and muggle world weren't separated much in Africa until the arrival of the European settler. Only the witch communities of North Africa were close to European traditions. But in the rest of the continent, wizards and Muggles lived together in a single tribal society. Colonization forced the separation of the two worlds. Many of the Muggle settlers murdered African wizards on the grounds of Christianity, and then the other monotheistic religions did the same. It was the "saviors" European wizards who instituted the separation of societies on the African continent and, later, co-founded Uagadou for the purpose of "correctly teaching the application of magic to African brethren".

Thus, it happened for centuries, until, in 1907, a group of historians and militants began a movement in favour of the resumption of the original African magic. At first, the group was rejected, but their ideas were winning sympathy among the younger ones. The pressure grew and it reached a point where, or if there was a middle ground, or the ideological war would become a war. The Africans chose the middle ground. That is why teaching in Ouagadou was very different from teaching at Hogwarts. Africans prevailed much more for their essence than for execution. They didn't need the magic to be quick and practical. What they were looking for was balance.

"The colonialist question is that I can't teach you how to conjure without a wand without an extensive training. You are all in imbalance, you haven't been properly disciplined, you have no concentration, no focus. At least you know what your inner animal is?"

"Inner animal?"

"The animal of what you call the patron?"

"Yes I know. It's a hippogriff."

Suddenly, Adila's eyes widened.

"Hippogriff? Are you sure?"

Santana saw that this was the moment to the other girl. She tried to remember a happy moment, like when she won a Quidditch match in Hogwarts and Brittany kissed her after the game. But the only image that came to mind was the kiss she'd had on Lily the night before.

"Expecto Patronum."

Between the smoke of the wand appeared the form of an imposing hippogriff that, instead of flying, stood next to Santana. Adila didn't seem to believe it.

"You're more than late, Santana." Adila was almost out of breath.

"Now you know my name?"

"Did you know that wizards who have magical creatures as patrons are very rare and need to be balanced all the time?"

"I don't really see many of those. They say that Dumbledore's patron was a phoenix, and he was quite okay, I suppose."

"Yeah, I heard." Adila shook her head. "Tomorrow, after the opening game, look for me in my tent. I will not be able to train you. There is no time. But I can at least teach you some meditation exercises to help you balance the forces you carry."

…

"Hi, Lily!"

Finn grinned when he saw the Hogwarts chaser waiting for the Uagadou team to finish the field reconnaissance training. Lily was farther away from the rest of the group, leaning on her own broom, thinking far and at the same time so close. More specifically 20 meters from where she was, talking any nonsense with Mike Chang and Netunus Black.

"Hudson," Lily returned her posture.

"Did you hear about the party?"

"What party?" Lily frowned, thinking it would be another party in the tends, with no rules and no concept. After the fiasco of the previous night, she wanted to stay away from confusion. Unless a certain chaser made her change her mind.

"The School Cup Ball," Finn said excitedly.

"This party..."

There would be a party for all the delegations as part of the integration events promoted by the school canopy.

"Would you like to go? With me?"

Lily was surprised by Finn's invitation. She never knew that the tall lad called Professor Longbottom's assistant, or simply gatecrasher, wanted her company. Not that she wanted his company, though Finn was considered a decent guy, even with the reputation of being whiny and spoiled.

"Hudson... I don't know." She glanced toward the rest of the team.

"Do you have any plans with anyone yet?"

"It's not that... I still don't know if I want to go. But I'll let you know."

"Okay!" Finn was pleased. It wasn't a positive response, nor was it a rejection. It was a slow progress in his notebook.

…

The local fans occupy the part that was destined to them in the stadium. Durmstrang was apparently going to be devastating for the first game, counting on Gimle Vidar in the starting lineup. The player in question was only 15 years old and was considered one of the great promises of Quidditch. The boy had pre-contract with the traditional Bulgarian team Vratsa Vultures, and it was speculated that he could integrate the Denmark National Team in the next World Cup in two years. Vidar was a cunning keeper who, they said, could predict where the quaffle would be thrown. Whether it was true or not, the fact was that the keaper was a year ago without conceding goals. The last one was in the debut in the Baltic League, of which Durmstrang competed with other smaller schools of the region.

The general consensus is that it would not be an easy task for the Brazilian team at Castelobruxo. The truth is that nobody had much information about Brazilians in general. Because the country was huge, Brazil had its own school Quidditch league formed by the country's three schools. The biggest and the main one was Castelobruxo, and it was the only one that offered exchange programs for Hogwarts and Ilvermony. The Brazilians played a lot among themselves and with the small South American schools. The professional league was also regionalized. At best, they made friendly matches with the American teams. That's why the rest of the world knew the Brazilian Quidditch team, but little knew about local and school teams.

Anyway, the sympathy of the Brazilians conquered the village of the delegations. As soon as the teenagers left the Brazilian tents, the other delegations began to applaud as a way to wish good luck. After all, there were warriors in uniform with blue and red vertical stripes, with the numbers in white (the school colours as well the flag of the Amazonas State). The Brazilians went ahead to prepare (they needed to warm up for the game) Near the stadium, it was possible to see many people arriving by teleportation, enabled especially for the event.

No comparison could be made between the Durmstrang stadium and the Hogwarts quidditch pitch. The space of the British school had rudimentary structure and was used only by the teams of the own houses of Hogwarts. Durmstrang stadium was part of the professional circuit, being used for occasional training of the Nordic teams. Some professional games also happened there. The space had a maximum capacity of 20,000 people and the public accessed the place by teleportation enabled only for the day of the game. The reception structure was set up right in that valley. Every internal area and immediate vicinity of the castle, for example, remained protected.

Santana and Quinn sat side by side on the bleachers. Scorpius and Rose were on hand to write down all the valuable information the teams had on the pitch. Ginny and Oliver would also be attentive, but in the comfort of the cabins intended for delegations' technicians and managers. While the teams weren't announced, Santana was distracted. She was staring at Lily and trying to disguise when the girl in question turned her face toward her.

"You should talk about the kiss with her." Quinn rolled her eyes as she realized the action was repeated.

"There's nothing to talk about, Fabray. It was just a kiss given because of an idiotic game."

"You're wrong, Lopez. I kissed some people I don't like because of a idiotic game. You and Lily... I know there's something going on. The sexual tension between you is almost palpable."

"You're seeing too much."

"So the illusion is collective. Even Brittany is grumbling about it."

"Brittany has no right to say anything."

"I agree. But she wouldn't be jealous of you with anyone else."

Santana looked again at Lily, then tried to disguise the slip. The smile on the corner of Quinn's face confirmed that she had been unsuccessful in trying to disguise herself.

"You should invite her to go to the ball with you."

"I thought we'd go together. Unless you've changed your plans."

"I change plans if you decide to go with Potter."

"Look, Fabray, it was just a kiss at a dumb party. This closeness to She-Potter is only because her mother put us in as training partners. I swear on Merlin. That'll be over as soon as we get back to Hogwarts."

"What's your problem, Lopez? There is nothing wrong with liking her. Are you free. She's free. You are attractive. She's attractive. You like girls and Lily... well I don't know her preferences, but so far I haven't seen anything that could say that she likes boys or girls exclusively. Or both."

"Why don't you invite someone for a change, Fabray?"

"What you mean?"

"I've never seen you care about anyone."

"You're asking me to change the subject."

"Whatever, but this is a valid point."

The focus of them was diverted by the announcement of the two teams entering for the initial game of the school cup. The visiting team was first announced with respectful applause. The Brazilians entered making a number in which they did a choreography that mounted the Brazilian flag with pyrotechnic effects. The entrance of the hosts was very celebrated. The team, the only 100% male one, did maneuvers to create the image of an erupting volcano.

Unfortunately for the Brazilians, Gimle Vidar made a small demonstration of his skill. The Durmstrang players could smell victory in the air. The Brazilian chasers were better, but they couldn't stick the keeper's lock. The only hope would be to hold the Scandinavians to the maximum so that the difference in the score wasn't greater than 150 points and to put all hope in the seeker. In the case of the Brazilians, the seeker was a skilful 14-year-old boy named Nivaldo Braga.

The Brazilian defence held the heaviest and strongest Scandinavians until the first half. At the start of the second half, the Durmstrang seeker got the better of. End of the game: 200 x 0 for Durmstrang.

"Did you guys see that?!" Lily commented with Santana, Quinn, Brittany and Mike at the end of the game. "How are we going to get through that wall?"

"I don't know" Mike said worriedly and pointed discreetly at Rose and Scorpius. "Apparently, they don't know either."

Santana saw Adila talking to students from other delegations and ran up to her, catching the attention of the Hogwarts group.

"Who is this girl that Santana seems to be obsessed with?" Brittany asked, frowning.

"Her name is Adila Amandi. She's Uagadou seeker" Quinn explained.

"Is Santana want to date her?" Brittany persisted.

"Santana isn't interested in Amandi, Britt, I can assure you. Even if she were, it's none of your business. You have a boyfriend." Quinn said seriously, alerting her colleague.

"For a while."

"What do you mean?" Lily tried to sound casual about something that was of her absolute interest.

"It's time to go back to who I really like," Britt replied matter-of-factly.

Quinn studied Lily's reaction, which barely managed to disguise her disappointment. Shee felt sorry for the Gryffindor for some sympathy. The way Santana was a hardheaded one, she was quite capable of suppressing her own feelings for Lily just to get back her familiarity with Brittany.

…

Santana didn't care about fog and rain, but she knew how to appreciate a ray of sunshine. At times she liked to sit on the grass and take a sunbath with her arms outstretched, enjoying the warmth against her body. She loved to play on sunny days. It was her favourite moment to be able to fly at high speed while feeling the adrenaline of Quidditch on a hot day. Too bad Santana would have none of this in the debut match against Ilvermony. It was raining heavily and it was cold.

Santana was very focused. Putting the protections on the arms was an important ritual while fixing the mind in the game. Apart from the information provided by the technicians and the tactical formations drawn, there wasn't much more to know how the game against the American team would be. But she was sure that the level would be superior to everything that has happened in the canopy of Hogwarts houses.

"Do you want to make a bet?" Lily, already fully uniformed, approached Santana.

"I don't know." Santana gave a small smile. "It's kinda weird to make a bet now that we're on the same team."

"I can make a bet with you, Santana!" Brittany interfered. "If we win, you'll be my company at the ball."

"Don't you have a boyfriend, Pierce?" Lily challenged.

"I'll handle this as soon as we get to Hogwarts." Brittany turned her attention back to Santana. "Are you in?"

If Brittany had made such a proposal days ago, Santana would have swallowed her pride and accepted it in a heartbeat. But after Puck's impromptu party, everything changed. Lily shook her head and stepped away from the pair. She felt that there was enough left over in the conversation and she was a proud enough girl not to look silly in the face of any situation. Lily's gesture didn't go unnoticed either by Santana or by some people who casually observed the interaction.

"That's tempting, Britt." Santana started quietly. "Only before you want anything with me, you need to break up with him before." Santana's response surprised Santana herself.

"Guys!" Ginny entered the tent, interrupting the moment. "Time to go."

The girls left the tent with the care of conjuring up an umbrella. They joined the boys of the team and together, to the applause of the other delegations, they went to the first battle. They made the way to the field together and, already in the stadium, they all went to the space reserved for stretching and heating. Ginny's pairs continued together. Quinn and Rose argued about the best strategy. Already Santana and Lily were doing the exercises in silence.

"I'd bet," Lily said quietly.

"What?"

"If I were you, I'd bet Brittany, but not our win."

"You're saying that if we lose, I should make her my date at the ball?"

"Yes. And I take Finn Hudson."

"That would be a punishment for you. What if we win?"

"Then you take me."

Ginny and Oliver announced the starting lineup with Scorpius, the Goyle twins, Santana, Mike, Bail and Rose as seeker. The Americans and the British came in a similar and uncreative way of getting on the field: they flew near the bleachers, dropping magical fireworks. Not that the players of both teams were interested in giving a pre-game spectacle.

The balls were thrown. Bail managed to win the quaffle and passed to Mike, while Santana flew towards the opposing goal. The Ravenclaw pitch was accurate, allowing Santana to dribble dry on the American keeper and open the scoring. 10 x 0.

Ilvermony was a well-organized team with a solid defense and a competent attack. Hogwarts began to have many difficulties in attack after the first goal. Ginny (who trained the position of the attack) looked at the bench a few times towards Brittany. Like Mike, she was a dribbler and this could help a lot against well-packed defences. The problem was that the head chasers complimented each other. Mike was the man of unpredictability, Santana was the tactical and technical talent, Bail was the libero: solid in defence but also competent in the distribution of the attack. Ginny thought it best to wait. Santana managed to extend the score 17 minutes into the game, which could mean a slow progression.

Except for the T-shirt, everything else was magically waterproof. The body was technically dry, but the magical care didn't prevent the cold, the sensation of humidity. The water that could drain into the uniform, the quaffle was slippery, the hair soaked, the water and the cold chill that cut across the face. All this was interfering in the game progression.

"Twenty-zero is a dangerous score," Ginny grunted at Oliver.

"Our defense is solid. Scorpius only made a save so far."

"If we go to the second half with Brittany instead of Bail? The game will be more outspoken."

"Aren't you relieving Rose to play all the chips on the attack?"

"Their seeker has more action."

"Rose is more cerebral. It's her style. "

Ilvermony made a visually plastic attack and scored. Hogwarts restarted the match with an equally overwhelming attack on the passing of passes between Mike and Santana. Mike had the last quaffle and threw when Santana dribbled the keeper without the ball. Mike had to steer clear of the bludger and jumped off his broom. Ginny and Oliver used the replacement and Mike was immediately referred to the care of Padma Patil. Brittany came in. She was a more daring chaser, but she didn't help in defence. Scorpius began to get more work when Ilvermony realized the vulnerable point. In compensation, the attack happened to work better with the pair Santana and Brittany. They finished the first half by scoring one goal each. 50 x 10.

Ilvermony returned to the second time with another seeker, which didn't show many tactical changes since his style of playing was similar to the first one. The Hogwarts attack was more fluid, and the defence more vulnerable. But the score began to move up. 70 x 20. 100 x 30. 120 x 40. 140 x 50.

The fourth time started, and that was already the longest game of the championship so far. The rain had intensified. A good portion of the audience was leaving. Santana, exhausted, slipped into a play that needed to bypass the bludger. She managed to stay on the broom and climb up again, but eventually left the space for Ilvermony's deadly counterattack. 140 x 60. Ginny pressed the replacement signal and, to everyone's surprise, Santana stepped out onto Lily's driveway.

Santana sat down on the bench next to Quinn. She was breathless and drenched.

"You made a good game, Lopez." Quinn said without peeking out of the field.

"I couldn't get the safe margin." Santana whined.

Lily made her first goal in the cup. She couldn't keep up with Brittany's game, but she had perfect tune with Bail. Even the game getting more tactical and uncreative with Lily's entry, she had a privileged gameplay reading. The rain made a lot of noise, but Lily, unlike Santana, was less bothered by the storms and the wind. The Hogwarts attack took off in the second half of the fourth half. Lily looked like she was experiencing the game of life. 210 x 70. Just two more goals, just more ...

"Unbelievable. Wilma Romariz from Ilvermony was able to catch the golden snitch." Said the local announcer.

Their eyes diverted to the teenager flying triumphantly through the heavy rain. 220 x 210. Gryffindors and Scorpius comforted Rose by losing the snitch in the last moment of the game. Santana was so angry that she preferred to follow the lead of the tent.

She took a warm shower, put on dry clothes and left the wet uniform to the care of the house elf. By then the girls were all sheltered in the tent. Santana went to the kitchen and picked up a handful of nuts when Lily found her there.

"Hey."

"Hey..." Santana replied. "You did a great game. Congratulations."

"I was lucky. The other team was tired."

"Not Potter. You played very well. Too bad you didn't have time to score another goal."

"Yeah..."

"Yeah..."

"Santana... I've been thinking... we don't have to keep the bet."

"I know..." Santana sighed and lit a lint of hope in Lily. "I'm just going to stay away from that ball. I'd rather rest and sleep. You can go with whomever you like."

Santana left the kitchen, leaving a disappointed Lily behind.

...

Rose could be the most cerebral person on that team, but Quinn was certainly the most observant. And not just about the issues surrounding Quidditch. She found the sudden change in Brittany's behaviour toward her courtship with Samuel very strange. If at Hogwarts, it was as if she was in love with Samuel, because out of school and her boyfriend she started acting like a jealous madwoman, willing to do anything to regain her ex-girlfriend? It didn't make any sense.

Quinn used the rest hours after the game and decided to go to the castle library. She arrived on the spot with the help of a student who volunteered to mentor foreign students. The boy, though he had gently treated Quinn, wondered why the English girl decided to see the library, when most of them liked to see the parade of the walking statues of the great wizards who passed the institute.

The library was as good as Hogwarts, but almost everything was in Norwegian, German, or Swedish, the most spoken languages in the Institute, with the official being Norwegian. Quinn lamented the unfamiliarity of the Germanic languages. She spoke French in addition to English. Luckily, there were a few books in English and French. In addition to books in runes. She managed to find a book of portions in French. There was a chapter of types of forbidden portions, including those of love and those that served to control a person. Obviously the book contained no recipes for these potions, and even Quinn wasn't after that. She wanted information.

Quinn sought information on love portions, but no description seemed to fit what she had observed about her friend's behaviour. Love potions made people obnoxious, obsessed. It wasn't Brittany's behaviour. But Quinn found the description of another forbidden potion that left a person open to suggestions, with much more subtle and difficult to detect effects, all because the person didn't lose personality, but ended up doing exactly what the other wizard ordered.

There was a black market in the United Kingdom, with no fixed place to hamper the monitoring of the Aurors. Quinn overheard her father talking about such a marketplace where virtually anything that was supposed to be banned from the wizarding world could be found. They say it was possible to buy even babies for black magic rituals, imagine those kinds of potions? But, on the other hand, why should Samuel Evans attend the black market and what is his interest in keeping Brittany under control? It made no sense to her. And it didn't even look like Samuel's profile. On the other hand, it also made no sense for someone to send a fake message to Brittany with the spelling of Santana.

What Quinn might presume is that something very strange was happening. And for some reason her best friend seemed to be in the spotlight. Why? Would it be because of such a prophecy that circulated? But Santana didn't have the profile of being a dark wizard. The very way she dealt with the ending of the relationship with Brittany showed this. Was there anything to do with Brittany? Nor did it seem logical. Samuel Evans? He was a loser, a nobody. One way or another, she decided that it deserved her to be more attentive to her friends and to what was going on around her.

…

Durmstrang Castle wasn't an inspiring place. Even with the hall decorated for the athletes' ball, the other rooms had a gray, Spartan castle. Not that Hogwarts was an example of decor and comfort. The difference was that Durmstrang was a smaller castle, with lower ceiling and narrower corridors.

The party organized for the athletes reflected much the conservative environment of the hosts. The orchestra of the school was the one who promoted the music. The musicians played ranged from waltzes to instrumental adaptations of popular Scandinavian songs of wizard origin. There was a table full of snacks, beer and aquavit (typical drink of the region). Those drinks were released in a restricted way. There was limit of consumption and anyone who extrapolated would have the purple skin and would be withdrawn from the party with the possibility of the delegation being fined.

Although the organization made it seem like the most boring party in the world, the hall was full. The more different the culture, the more the students were curious and entertained. Lily and Finn arrived at the party minutes after the official start. She was in a youthful blue dress and he looked clumsy in a suit with shorter pants and a slightly freer jacket.

"Want a drink or something to eat?" Finn asked anxiously. In practice, it was the first time he dated a girl.

"I'm fine, thank you." Lily smiled politely and watched the growing movement. In practice, taking her cousin's wedding party off, that was also the first dance of her life.

"This is quite different from that party, is not it?"

"Good."

"Do you want to walk or sit?"

"Do you want to dance?" She asked, watching the dancing couples hugged each other, smiling at each other.

"Sorry, I don't know how to dance. I could massacre your feet if you tried. "

"Then we can walk a little and talk to people," Lily said feeling she had no better alternative.

Meanwhile, in the tent, Quinn wore lipstick while a sullen Santana was lying on the bed, hugging her own pillow.

"You should go dance with me." Quinn checked her makeup. "You brought a beautiful dress. You have to use it."

"I'm not in the mood."

"This pit of yours has to end, Lopez. That will never happen if you continue with your butt caught in this bed."

"I can glue my ass to get even tighter."

"You're not doing any good by staying here. Imagine the following: Lily Potter is at the party dancing with the monster. Do you really want to lose your girl to that asshole?"

"She's not my girl and neither do I want her to be."

"You're unbelievable, Lopez!" Quinn sighed. She was past the point of being annoyed with her friend. "Are you going to continue denying that you like her for what? Think of the following: It's okay that you don't want to go fight for Lily, unlucky yours. But in the meantime, Brittany is also there. You know she dances even with the sound of your grunts. She is having fun there as if her rejection is nothing. Even after she'd traded her for Evans. You can't leave any of it cheap, Lopez. "

"It's really... they... it's there and I'm here in the pit."

"Exact. And everyone is watching it. Imagine when we get to Hogwarts? Think about how much they will laugh at your back? Think of your pride, Lopez. "

"I hate it when you're right, Fabray."

"I'm always right."

At the party, Brittany danced with Mike to steal the scene. He had his arm immobilized and out of the next games in the cup. None of this prevented him from dancing graciously to a partner of his own. Seen from the outside, people could swear it was a couple. Brittany and Mike were just friends having fun together.

Lily was impressed with Finn in one way: that he was able to have a conversation with her as long as it was about Quidditch. She was also surprised that Finn thought he was a really good player, and that he was possibly wronged on the pitch.

"Puck was cast and he's no better than me."

"You're right about that," Lily replied, feeling like rolling her eyes. She hated Puck and living with him on the team only added to the feeling.

"See?" Finn felt confident for the wrong reasons.

In the meantime, Santana and Quinn arrived at the party holding hands. The gesture was only casual between two friends, but wasn't well interpreted in this way by the others. If they were always together at Hogwarts, if they shared the same room, people might think that the feeling of friendship would become the process.

"Let's go for the drinks," Santana suggested.

"Let's not spend our limit at once." Quinn alerted.

"Okay, one beer and then we'll dance whatever that song is."

They grabbed a glass of beer and watched the scenery.

"Puck is trying to fool another girl, two o'clock" Quinn commented.

"Be careful that someone might think you're jealous."

"Jealous of him?" Quinn rolled her eyes. "I'm sorry for the girl. Puck's shit."

"I don't know, Quinn. Maybe you like bastards. Who knows?"

"Brittany is dancing with Mike, nine o'clock." Quinn changed the subject. "Look at your African friend there, five o'clock. It looks like she has a boyfriend. Sorry!"

"Adila is not quite my friend. She's just helping me out on a thing."

"You haven't said what that thing is. Is it about Quidditch?"

"No, it's something else. I'll explain more calmly later. Now I just want to make some good laughs when I talk bad about those suckers."

"You can start with your beloved by talking to the giant, eleven o'clock."

"Let her enjoy it." Santana tried to disguise her irritation. She set the glass on the counter and pulled Quinn. "Come on, Fabray. Let's dance."

They went to the dance floor. Santana held Quinn by the waist and began to move the body to the rhythm of traditional Scandinavian music. They danced very well. Quinn was accustomed to attending the formal dances of wealthy families. Santana frequented Muggle parties along with Brittany and, when in New York, with Rachel and Shelby. She looked at her ex-girlfriend dancing with Mike and missed her. At least, she missed having fun with Brittany more than the girlfriend. The friendship they had cultivated since childhood was one of a kind. Brittany had changed so much in that fourth year of school because of Samuel's company that Santana could only see flashes of her old friend. The best of them was to see the joy with which she danced.

"Do you want to dance?" Lily called Finn one more time. She had tired of talking about Quidditch with the boy, and even more so, she was sick of seeing Santana and Quinn stay on the dance floor. If this were a competition, she wouldn't want to lose at all and would make Finn Hudson the most entertaining company. At least, a company more interesting than Quinn Fabray. "It's a slow song. You won't even need to move much and the risk of you stepping on my foot drops considerably."

"But I..."

"Instead of you leading me, I'll lead you. No one will notice."

"Okay?" He stumbled still uncertain.

Lily put one hand on Finn's shoulder as she held his hand with the other. The kid wasn't kidding when he said he didn't know how to dance. It was so incredibly paceless that she found it amusing. Lily slowed the movement further to see if he could keep up with her. It worked, but that made their bodies come closer. Finn felt a new euphoria, his heart beating faster, the blood circulating more in a certain part, his breath catching as he could feel Lily's soft scent better, her breasts occasionally touching his body. He felt himself the most courageous man in the world and, taken in the moment, gently lifted Lily's chin and kissed her on the dance floor. She accepted the caress, which was a slight pressure on her lips. The feeling was pleasant, especially for the moment, but it was nothing like the sensation she felt days ago, at the other party.

The pair was being watched by other students who knew them and also by adults who aided in discipline. Neville and Ginny had different feelings as they witnessed the scene.

"Did you see Ginny? I was right all the time. It's him."

"I know my daughter and also understand girls."

"What you mean?"

"I had boyfriends before Harry. Even if I liked them a little or would never date them, I never looked at them the same way I look at my husband."

Finn, feeling the bravest man in the world, kissed his pair for the second time with a little more action. Lily smiled and leaned her face against the boy's shoulder. Punk raised his thumb approvingly to his friend. Brittany and Mike also approved of the alleged new couple. Santana frowned and swallowed hard.

"You shouldn't go down in this story," Quinn whispered in Santana's ear.

"What you mean?"

Quinn grabbed her friend's face and pressed her lips against Santana's long enough for someone to see, then continued to dance as if nothing had happened.

"Like I said, you were an idiot for missing out on that, but you do not have to come down because of it."

"Are you proposing to be my girlfriend, Fabray?"

"I don't know. Let's see how far it will take us. "

...

"What's going on between you and Santana?"

Brittany asked when the Hogwarts team went out to jog in the morning to maintain fitness.

"Nothing that concerns you."

"Quinn, please..."

"Britt, by chance did Santana or I get into your life while you put your lips to Evans's?"

"You stopped talking to me."

"At first, because Santana was hurt. But then we get back together again. Even so, nobody questioned you about your love life. Not even when the whole school knew you and Evans had sex."

"I just want to know if anything is going on between you."

"And I'll go on without saying a word about it."

...

"Their concentration is a joke, imperialist."

Santana rolled her eyes at her Angolan colleague. Adila was right. Her head couldn't leave the ball the day before, no matter how hard she tried. It was a bad time to have a love affair, and Santana never imagined that such problems could involve three beautiful girls. Luckily there was no group B game that day or she wouldn't know how to get on the field.

"I kind of like it." Ebo Kodwo, Adila's boyfriend, smiled and nudged Santana's shoulder. "It will make our work easier when we play against the imperialists."

"In the first place, you will lose. Secondly, I have no intention of becoming an Animagus. So why the hell do I have to focus on getting in touch with my inner animal? I just want to control magic without using the wand!"

"You're right, Adi, the imperialists are really very impatient and kind of dumb!" Ebo laughed. "Getting in touch with the inner animal has nothing to do with becoming one. It takes a burning desire to do something incredible like that."

Ebo's features turned into a few seconds in front of the Hogwarts student, who was soon confronted by a black panther. The Animagus was as large as the original species. The roar Ebo let out almost made Santana piss in her pants. Adila laughed softly at her British colleague's panic-stricken expression. She scratched the ears of the huge panther as if it were a domestic kitten.

"That's how you b an animagus. Isn't it, love?" She gave a little kiss on the panther before Ebo began to turn back. "Getting in touch with your inner animal is like getting in touch with your own essence. You need to know yourself to have control of your own magic."

"That's why we use wand. It's so much more practical." Santana said in frustration.

"It's practical, it's powerful, it's fast. But it is only an instrument that has nothing to do with the essence. It's like using technology and banishing philosophy. Manumun was once the Moon. But what does that mean? "

"Manumun?" Santana asked.

"Manumun is the same as Muggle, I think."

"Oh... well... I think I understood your point of view."

"So you understand that getting in touch with your own essence is the key to realizing your position in the world. Of course, I don't blame you. It's difficult for people whose inner creatures are ma sixir. It must be even harder for someone who has a sixir... a magic animal as a patron."

"Is her patron a sixir?" Ebu, putting on his T-shirt after the transformation, frowned at what he had just heard.

"Hippogriff," Adila explained.

"Oh." Ebo didn't disguise that he was impressed. "Hippogriffs are very stubborn. No wonder it will take you a long time to learn."

"I'm sure it won't happen in two weeks." Santana sighed.

...

The cultural fair was more interesting than Quinn judged. Close to what she saw, the Hogwart's frogs choir was the most uninteresting number she saw at the fair. Quinn thought of Rachel and how the number of Muggle music choir would be so much more interesting. That afternoon, shortly before the game between the hosts (who would play with the women's team) and Beauxbatons, the French organized a gastronomic fair among replicas of some of the country's iconic sites. There were the magnificent castle of Beauxbaton and other monuments such as the Eiffel Tower, Arc de Triomphe, Champs Elysées, and the grand Lyon Tower where the headquarters of the French Magical Parliament were. Quinn paced with Scorpius, Rose, and Mike.

"What's this thing?" Mike frowned as he took the bite. The look was strange in his eyes, though the smell wasn't bad.

"Plum brochettes and raw ham." The student explained with a friendly smile.

"Eat!" Quinn nipped his friend in the back.

Mike took a deep breath and swallowed the tidbit at once. He chewed, became silvery, and when he could swallow, he smiled yellow at the French student.

"Delicious."

"I'm proud." Quinn greeted his friend as the group passed the next tent.

They met with a group of Koldovtoretz: three girls and one boy. They greeted each other with cordial greetings. In the passage, Quinn noticed that two of the girls were pointing at her and laughing. Normally, she would let her cold blood and her stoicism speak louder and ignore. But something told her she shouldn't ignore. She walked like she didn't want anything, approached the Russians and brought up a subject.

"By chance have we met before?"

"I doubt it very much. I'm not part of your environment." One of the girls responded petulantly.

"What would that be?"

"Dyke!" The boy replied with such contempt that Quinn was shocked.

"If you and your girlfriend were in my country, they would have been arrested."

"Thank God we're not in your lame country." Quinn turned her back on the group. "Good luck tomorrow because you will need it if you want to see the colour of the quaffle. Because my girlfriend and I are going to break up your team."

...

The stadium was full that late afternoon. The Hogwarts team was excited by the result of the morning game, in which Uagadou defeated Ilvermony by 200 x 50 in the third time. If Hogwarts won the game, it would draw with the Americans and live teams the chances of qualifying for the finals. That's why Ginny and Oliver climbed the most offensive team they could get. So they lined up Scorpius, the twins, Lily, Santana and Brittany and Quinn Fabray as seeker. Who knew backstage at Hogwarts, knew that the trio of chasers and the seeker had such strained relations that their game could literally spark.

The balls were loose. The Russian team stayed with the quaffle and started for the attack. Knowing that the defines wasn't strong, the twins tried to play dominating the bludger. It was a much more tense, dangerous, and concentrated tactical movement, but it was extremely effective at defence when well executed. It was because of the bludger that the homophobic chaser lost the quaffle, recovered by Lily, who advanced quickly through the opponent field, followed closely by Santana and Brittany. The three came face to face with the Russian goalkeeper. Lily passed the quaffle to Santana, who scored.

While the trio was feasting on their opponents, Quinn didn't want to wait. She took the initiative to look for the snitch early, completely ignoring the Russian seeker. In the middle of the first half, when the game was at 40 x 10, she heard the snitch's low buzz and fired her hunt. The Russian seeker went behind, but Quinn was unlucky. Before she could get straight, she jumped on the snitch and grabbed it in a big toss. Santana noticed her friend in free fall and fired to catch her. The chaser managed to rescue Quinn a few feet off the ground. She came down with the broom, and the two of them fell rolling down the grass, but without really getting hurt.

It was the moment of triumph. Quinn, almost in the center of the lawn, lifted her hand and showed the snitch. Hogwarts won by 190 x 10, eliminating the Russian team still in the eliminatory phase. Santana hugged her happily with victory. Before the rest of the team approached, Quinn took her friend's face and kissed her in front of everyone. Then she faced the homophobic Russian chaser and blew out a provocative kiss.

…

"Are you really dating?" Brittany asked.

"It's none of your business." Quinn was still dressed in Hogwarts' black and gray Quidditch uniform.

"So you're dating! You kissed at the ball and now at the end of the game. You can only be dating."

"Again, it's none of your business!"

Brittany seemed to want to disguise her own emotions, but she was visibly jealous. In the meantime, Santana entered the room absolutely exhausted and threw herself on the bed, lying beside Quinn, not bothering to dry her freshly washed hair.

"Turn off the light, please!"

Quinn kissed Santana on the cheek and stood up. It was late for her to take the well-deserved shower. Brittany also left the room much because she didn't want anymore to witness the interaction between the two friends. She went down the stairs, where she found Ginny, Lily, Padma, and two more coral girls in the tent room.

"What was Brittany?" Lily teased her friend. Despite the teasing, deep down, Lily knew very well what Brittany was feeling. "Been bitten by a doxy?"

"They're dating!" Brittany said in disgust.

"Who?" Ginny asked.

"Santana and Quinn."

"In that case..." Ginny looked at Padma, and avoided checking her daughter, for she knew that Lily's expression was one of disappointment. "We'll have to make some changes in the rooms."

"Why?" Sarah, the choir girl, said with some disgust. "If it has to happen, it will happen, it doesn't matter if they share the same room or not. Brittany has sex with her boyfriend at Hogwarts. Puck too, even here."

"Define... here," Ginny said slowly.

…

It seemed that the Hogwarts delegation didn't have a boring day. Sarah told what happened between Glory and Puckerman at the party. Teenagers having sex at school or during the championship wasn't right. After all, they were children and there were adults responsible for them. There were punishments for this, even though they were known to be symbolic. On the other side, these things actually happened, especially among students from the fifth year onwards. But what caught Ginny and Padma's attention was that the party organized by Puckerman sounded like an orgy. All the students would be called, but first of all, Ginny and Padma wanted to talk to Glory in particular to confirm if the story Sarah told was true.

"We aren't here to judge you, Glory. We've all been so old, and we know what's going on, what it feels like," Padma said softly to the girl.

"Nothing happened," Glory said in a huff, angry and ashamed.

"There's nothing wrong with trying on someone. Each one has its time and you will never be judged for it, much less by us. What we want is to make sure you're sure of what you did. That's all," Ginny explained.

"It was just a joke," the girl still said. "Even Lily was attending. Seven minutes in paradise. She went with Santana." Glory tried to counter-attack by betraying her colleague to her own mother.

"Yeah... we know how that joke works." Padma didn't let Ginny show up. "I've already entered a wardrobe myself with a friend of mine at Hogwarts. But we were so shy that nothing happened."

"Something always happens. The joke is for things to happen." Glory debated.

"And what happened to you, exactly?" Padma continued in a cautious tone, but the girl was silent.

"Glory. It's not that I endorse sex at the age that you are. In fact, I would recommend that you wait as long as you can until you are sure and mature enough. But if it has happened now, what is asked at least is that the two sides are in full agreement and comfortable with it. No one can force anyone to have sex, no matter the circumstances, no matter if it's in the middle of a party. No, is no! And if you didn't really want to have sex, you should say so. I guarantee you won't be punished. On the contrary, we will see to it that it does not happen again with you or another girl. Think about it, Glory."

The girl looked at her fingers and began to cry. Ginny hugged Glory and let her sob into her arms. Meanwhile, she exchanged glances with Padma, who had a lump in her throat.

"Puck..." Glory finally spoke.

"Did he ask for sex?" Padma continued her calm tone and Glory nodded. "Did you accept it?" The girl waved again, already breaking the resistance. "Were you sure about that?" Glory waved negative and burst into tears again.

"Oh, honey... I'm so sorry... I'm so sorry..." Ginny said softly.

"He... he said... that I had two options... or with my mouth... or let him... so a did with my mouth… and… and I hate it!"

"Did he give you the option to say no?" Padma asked and Glory nodded. "Oh, honey!"

"Padma, can you stay with Glory a little? I need to sort something out," Ginny asked.

"Of course."

While Padma was comforting Glory, Ginny left the room to talk to Oliver and Neville. But before looking for her colleagues, the journalist entered the room where her daughter and her niece shared. Lily was sitting on the bed talking to Rose and another choir girl.

"Girls, can I have a word with my daughter alone?"

Rose and her colleague waved and left the room. Ginny took a deep breath, tried to control her emotions and said trying to keep her own voice in check.

"Honey... I knew what happened at the party in the boys' tent. That you and Santana went to one of the rooms."

"Yes..." Lily said without hesitation. The rumours about Glory and what was to come were already running loose, they knew that everyone would be questioned, and Lily saw no reason to lie.

"Did she force you to do something?" Ginny held her breath for the answer.

"No, Mom. I swear. Nothing bad happened."

"But did something happen?"

"Yes."

"Be honest with me, Lilypad. You never hid anything from me and it's not the time for it."

"We kissed. That's all."

"Did she force you anyway?"

"No."

"You wanted do it? You... do you like her?"

"It doesn't matter, Mom."

"How does it matter?"

"Did not you see what happened on the field today? She doesn't like me. She's dating Quinn."

"Is that why you went with Hudson to the party?" As the daughter didn't answer, Ginny took a deep breath and sat down next to her. "What do you really feel for this girl? Is it as if you feel strange and different whenever you're around her? Even when you're not sure what and why? "

"Oh mom..." Lily tried to avoid the conversation. "That's cheesy."

"When you kissed her, how did every part of her body stay alive? And when you saw her kiss Quinn, was it like somebody punched the pit of your stomach?"

"More or less this... how do you know?"

"Because that's what I feel about your father... and what you're feeling now is what I felt when I saw him fall in love with Cho Chang when we were teenagers."

"Oh..." Lily absorbed the information and sighed. Raising the courage to ask her mother, no matter how strange it was. It was much easier to talk about relationships with Rose or Melissa. But since they were at that point in the conversation, why not continue? "Mom?" She continued timidly.

"Yes?"

"What if she never likes me... like that?"

"It's going to be because she's an idiot. Just crazy not to like you. And it may also be that she is not the person for you. Maybe because there is someone else who will be perfect for you."

"And what do I do in the meantime?"

"Carry on with your life."

"Mom?"

"What?"

"Don't you mind if I like a girl?"

"What I care about, Lily, is that you're true to yourself. I want you to respect yourself. I say one thing, kid, and It's essential. As much as you like Santana Lopez, never, but never ever stop loving yourself because of her or whoever. Continue your life and be independent. If you two get together, I'm sure this will only strengthen your relationship."

Lily smiled shyly and nodded.

"Do you really, really like this girl?" Ginny asked once more.

"Yes, I do."

"What about Hudson?"

"He's fine…"

"Do you really want to date him?"

"Not at all, but… she… she…"

"Santana is dating Quinn and you don't want to stay behind."

"Kind of…"

"Can I say one more thing?" Ginny asked and Lily nodded. "I understand what you are doing, but don't take this story too far. Finn is a good boy."

"I know, mom. And thank you."

Ginny got up and kissed Lily on the forehead. She smiled and left the room. Ginny had a serious business to attend to. She saw that Santana was in the living room talking to Quinn, and some coral girls. Ginny wanted to slap the teenager. Instead, she left the tent and looked for Oliver and Neville. She briefly told what had happened. That an urgent intervention in the Hogwarts delegation should happen. Then she made her way to Durmstrang Castle. lily needed to use the postal service and wrote a simple note to her husband:

"It's her. I'm sure."

...

It was official. The Hogwarts team had one less beater. Noah Puckerman, just 15 years old, Hufflepuff, was suspended. Being a minor and still a student, Puckerman couldn't be arrested or tried without the presence of parents or guardians, as well as an advocate. That would have to be waited until everyone returned to Hogwarts. Puckerman was to be handed over to the parents to await disciplinary action from both the school and the Department of Justice of the Ministry of Magic under possible charges of rape. Whether or not this was the case, an appropriate court would decide and, from this decision, the other measures would be properly addressed.

Ginny, Padma, Neville, and Oliver debated a lot about what they could do after talking to all the students. They discovered that there were no serious excesses other than what happened at the clandestine party between Glory Watson and Noah Puckerman. Ginny voted to return immediately to Hogwarts, but the other three adults thought it would not be fair to the others, since they did nothing wrong. That is why Puckerman and Oliver would be the only ones to return to England before the rest of the delegation, arrangements that would be made the next morning. The coach would travel with the student by teleportation before taking the boat, and would deliver the boy to those responsible and notify the authorities as soon as they arrive in London. Meanwhile, everyone else would be in Norway.

As much as Puck didn't have a chance to start on account of his technical deficiency (in fact, he was summoned on a political issue so that Hufflepuff had a representative on the school team), he trained with the others and was part of the team. The situation itself was serious enough to shake everyone. Still, the games guaranteed to be firm and motivated to decide the classification against Uagadou. The team was set up with Scorpius, the twins, Santana, Lily and Bail. Quinn was cast as seeker, as she proved to be more decisive in the previous match. It also showed a certain cold blood of Ginny as she advocated for a headline with her daughter, Santana and Quinn, even though she knew the story surrounding them.

Santana made a point of greeting Adila and Ebo before starting the game. As soon as the balls were released, the friendship was over for the end of the game. From there, it was war. Ebo gained possession of the quaffle, passed to the teammate and the African team exchanged passes to try to drill a disciplined defence. Bail coordinated the defence, the twins waited for the opportunity to get possession of the bludger, Scorpius was surprised by the rhythmic and reasoned attack of the Africans. One of the scouts threw the bludger toward Santana, who strayed and gave Ezra Goyle the perfect opportunity to regain possession of the bludger. He passed to his brother who managed to give a precise shot in the bludger towards Ebo. The player was unbalanced enough that Lily recovered the quaffle. Santana fired at the front, making the wind from Lily that, in the last move, passed the quaffle to Bail. That opened the scoreboard.

Hogwarts defence retreated on Uagadou's return. That would be the strategy of the British game: to wait for the opportunity in the counterattack, since the Africans liked to play with the possession of the quaffle. It meant that the scoreboard would advance slowly. Signal that Quinn needed to be doubly clever, because whoever took the snitch was the one who would decide to leave. Adila moved a lot in the field, while Quinn made the round slower. She wanted to have the chance to see the snitch before the young Angolan. A bludger came toward her, which took her to accelerate as the lead ball chased her. She knew what she had to do under these circumstances and flew to cross Ezra's path. He managed to push the bludger toward one of the opposing chasers, disrupting him enough to let Santana find a hole in the defense. Goal.

Quinn saw Adila shoot behind the snitch. She couldn't afford it. She signaled to the twins, so they would give her time to get into the dispute. The bludger was thrown in the direction of Adila. The maneuver she had to do to avoid the impact allowed Quinn to reach the opponent. The snitch began to rise. The two took off in pursuit of the ball with wings. The snitch was getting louder and it reminded a lot of the situation where Quinn played Rose in one of the home games at Hogwarts. The difference was the firm time it made on the beautiful afternoon. Quinn's broom began to fail, but Adila's, too. The Angolan girl looked down and thought of giving up while she still had mastery over the broom. Quinn, on the contrary, wouldn't give up this time. She screamed loudly, but it was so out of reach that Adila could barely hear. The broom failed, Quinn was thrown a few feet up and began to plummet in free fall.

Quinn opened her arms and legs so that the body gained more area of friction in the free fall, and she closed her eyes.

She felt someone grab her by the collar of her uniform. Although she was hanging herself a little, she held out until she was thrown on the lawn. Adila landed next to her and stared at her.

"Thank you." Quinn said to Adila and then raised her fist. The snitch was safe in her hand.

...

Ilvermony, Uagadou and Hogwarts tied with two wins and one defeat each, so the classification was decided by the points balance. In the tiebreaker, Uagadou was in first in the group and Hogwarts in second. That put the British school in the way of host Durmstrang in the semifinals.

An informal party broke out in the delegations' tents. On the one hand, the groups celebrated the classifications of Hogwarts, Ouagadou and Mahoutokoro. On the other hand, they had a nice farewell party for the Brazilians, the Americans, the French, and the Russians. That is, the Hogwarts team refused to celebrate the Russians in protest of the homophobic demonstrations of the other team, which didn't even apologize. The protest was followed by some individuals from other delegations, including Adina and Ebo, and also a Japanese named Riki Okubo.

Okubo, by the way, made friends with Scorpius and Rose. They started talking about the school's glass as they sipped a Japanese soup and heard the speakers play some British songs from wizarding bands.

"It's impossible to score on him," Okubo explained. "You have seen that the only time Durmstrang took a goal was when the women's team played. In both men's games, we and the Brazilians left the field with the scoreline cleared."

"The only way to beat them is by taking the snitch first." Rose closed the analysis of the situation.

"It's either you or Fabray." Scorpius hugged his girlfriend.

"If it's Fabray, I just hope she doesn't make any more suicidal moves. My stomach almost came out of my mouth the last few times."

Speaking of Quinn, she and Santana chatted excitedly with Adila and Ebo around one of the fires.

"You mean you're not dating?" Ebo asked in disbelief.

"Quinn is my best friend and she just wanted to give a message to the homophobic Russians," Santana explained. "Although I don't bother bothering about having some benefits in this relationship. I won't deny that the girl is beautiful."

"Are you flirting with me, Santana Lopez?" Quinn nudged her.

"To the wise, half a word is enough."

Though neither had thought of an official relationship, it was undeniable that Quinn and Santana enjoyed each other's company. And the kisses were nice. For now, it might be safe to say that it was friendship with benefits, and that was how they behaved: no pressure, no jealousy, no strong emotions felt with cold glaciers in the stomach. Quinn knew that Santana was liking Lily, and Santana knew Quinn still didn't care about anyone. But while fates didn't fit in the way they should be, why not enjoy each other's company?

The festivities, however, weren't for everyone. Noah Puckerman was forbidden to leave the tent without permission until his partiture in the next day. The order also dictated that he have a company all the time. It was the Slytherin Dan Depriev, the choir tenor, was the responsible of the moment. He stared all the time out, watching as the boys' tent came and went while Puck was lying on the couch staring up at the ceiling.

"This is hell," he complained. "All because an idiot became a victim."

The student of French origin didn't answer, but Puck was willing to do a monologue.

"Have you ever had sex?" Puck asked his older classmate.

"Yeah."

"So you know when a girl doesn't want to. She screams, fights, runs and scolds you for everything that's name. A girl when she doesn't want to, she doesn't get down on her knees and does the service when we lower the zipper. "

"I think not."

"Of course not. Do you know Lestrange? I've been with her: twice. The first time, she let me put it in. The second time, she knelt down and sucked me like candy, man. When she said she didn't want to go with me anymore, I respected her. I'm like this. When the woman says no, I respect. Except that cow... she knelt down. She let me cum in her mouth. Now you tell me she didn't want to?"

"These choir girls are all naughty. This girl, Silvia, was my first. It was during my baptism when I was accepted in the choir. To convince me that singing wasn't a fagot thing, she let me feel her pussy and, surprise, when I put my hand on it, she was wearing no panties."

"Ah, it's one of those who like little fingers before the stick."

"Exactly."

"I prefer it when they're drier. It gets better."

"It's worse for them."

"If they allow it, their problem. You know what I feel like? If I'm going to be arrested because of a cow that sucked me, then it would be fair for me to go after her and get some satisfaction."

"So go."

"Are you kidding?"

"No, man. Come on, talk to her and come back. But don't blame me if they catch you walking around. I'll deny everything."

Puck left the tent wearing a Durmstrang uniform hat to disguise the mohawk. The party was spread out. Some tents offered snacks, some students danced, many talked, others were seated around one of five lit fires. As much as Puck wanted to discount the rage on Glory, he didn't look for her obeyingly. He just wanted to get out of the tent and look at the party.

The scandal didn't leak to the other delegations. He could sit with anyone he wanted. In civilian clothing and his Scandinavian hat, he approached the Russians' tent. He talked, he laughed with one of the girls. As she talked, she saw Glory walking by herself. She was on her way to the girls' tent. If Puck wasn't necessarily behind her, he decided not to waste the opportunity. He smiled at the Russian girl (the one who mocked Quinn) and apologized. He said he needed to solve a problem. He walked right behind Glory and at the first opportunity grabbed her from behind, capping her mouth and leading her away from the crowd.

"If you scream, I swear I'll kill you," he said in her ear as he pushed her closer to the woods, where it was darker and no one would see them.

Puck threw Glory into one of the rocks, hurting her in the process. He took her by the shoulders and pushed her hard against the rock wall again. As his wand was confiscated, he stole Glory's.

"Now, you bitch, you're going to say in my face that I raped you."

Glory was so scared that all she did was cry.

"Say I did it!" Puck screamed and hit her face. "You know what it is to force someone, you bitch? I can show you what strength it is for you to never again confuse and say foolishness to others."

"No... please..." Glory said between sobs of crying.

"The first thing the guy forces to do is rip the clothes off like that!" He tugged on the fabric of the T-shirt she wore and tore it. "By chance did I rent your clothes that day?"

"No..." Glory cried desperately. "Please, let me go."

"No, if I'm going to be arrested for something I did not do, then I'd better do it for real."

Suddenly, his body was shifted to the side, releasing Glory.

"For Merlin, I don't believe it's you." Finn was puzzled. He couldn't believe that one of his best friends, besides what he was even considering arguing in the audience at the Ministry of Magic, could even be really a rapist.

"Finn, my brother." Puck said slyly. "It's not what it looks like. We're just talking."

"Then why is she crying so hard? And why is her clothing torn?"

"Because she's a tramp. Don't you see? Look, why don't you lower your wand and forget it? You know? You can just go make out with your new girlfriend. Who would have thought? That you're the one closest to take Potter's virginity away?"

"No. You're coming with me back to the cabin."

"Finn, come on."

"If you don't come with me for good, I swear I'll duel with you."

"You? Duel with me? Since when?"

"Give it a try."

Puck tried his luck. He should have accepted the proposal. Even though Finn wasn't the world's best duelist, training with Neville made him much better. Puck attacked him, but Finn managed to dodge and counter-attack with precision. Finally, the boy with a Mohican cut ended the duel unconscious.

...

Finn didn't believe when Santana Lopez even greeted and congratulated him. From gatecrasher, he became the hero of the Hogwarts delegation. He was the student who didn't bother to face his best friend in defending a girl. The teachers symbolically decorated him. He received a tribute at lunch before the first match of the semifinal. The icing on the cake was when Lily Potter kissed him on the lips in front of everyone, almost making them official as boyfriends.

Of all the adults, it was Neville Longbottom who was not fit for him: he was convinced that his bet was right. Santana Lopez? She might not even be the champion of darkness. He even acknowledged that the girl wasn't even evil. But the champion? Oh, that could only be Finn Christopher Hudson. The son of the dead Auror Christopher Hudson and the real estate for witches Carole Hummel, stepson of the trader Burt Hummel and stepbrother of Kurt Hummel.

What did he want most? Play in the Hogwarts team.

Done.

Neville knocked on the door of the room where Finn decided to take refuge from all the hype.

"Who is it?" The muffled voice asked.

"It's me, Hudson. Professor Longbottom."

"You may come in."

"Hello!" The man came with a package in his hands and sat on the front bed where Finn was. "How are you doing?"

"Weird..."

"You're a hero, Hudson."

"That's what people are saying. But I don't feel that way."

"That's nice. It's as it should be. "

"Really?"

"Yes." Neville took a breath and stared at the student. "Finn, I always bet on you. Against everything and everyone, I always believed that you were special."

"I'm not special..."

"You are!" Neville held up his hand to let him complete his reasoning. "I saw you were special since when I laid eyes on you. Nobody believed me, but I knew you were a different kind of than was, for example, Harry Potter. And look, I spent my whole life with my friend, being faithful to him because I really believed that Potter was the chosen one."

"He really was. It's always been since he was born. "

"Yes, he was the most famous baby in the wizarding world. But there were those who doubted. But I... me, Hermione, Ron, Ginny... we believe in him until the end. Harry defeated you-know-who and we helped him. He was special... just like you."

"Like me?" Finn was confused.

"Yes, Hudson. Like you. You know there are prophecies about a new dark lord, don't you?"

"Everyone knows. There are kids at school obsessed with it. Sam, mostly."

"The prophecy is true. A new dark lord will emerge. But also the same prophecy says that its opponent, the champion of light, will arise. The two were born in the same year, at the same time, with birthdays that are no more than a week apart, and were designed to grow in the same house: Gryffindor."

"Oh, I knew there would be something that would discard me." Finn smiled.

"That's where you're wrong. Dumbledore's Army knew this detail and made the sorting hat not designate anyone born at one time to Gryffindor. You Finn, you should be a Gryffindor, as was your father. But precisely because of that, you were moved to Hufflepuff."

"Really? Me?"

"Yes, you."

"But how? How can you know that I'm the special? If the other is also a Gryffindor, how can you know I'm not evil?"

"Are you evil? Do you have supremacist ideas? Hate against people?"

"Not really."

"Exactly."

"So, I'm the chosen one? Just why did I save a girl?"

"Because you are who you are. Because you are what you are. And because you fit into some signs."

"What signs?"

"There are some so-called complementary prophecies that help identify players. Some are confusing as hell, but others are crystal clear. Your presence here allowed the revelation of one of them. In fact, the lightest of them."

"What?"

"It has to do with Lily Potter. There is a prophecy that says that just as her mother was the companion of the former chosen one, that she would be the companion of the new chosen one. She would fall in love with him, have kids with him... unless I need glasses, a certain Lily Potter has thanked you so much in front of everyone."

"It seems so." Finn gave his characteristic half-smile.

"That's why it's important to continue our training. More than that, this conversation, Finn, has to stay between you and me. You can't reveal this even to your shadow. We'll protect you, and you need to help us. It's understood?"

"Yes sir."

"Very well." Neville smiled and handed the package to the student. "You have a dream come true."

Finn opened the package and smiled to see that it was the uniform of the Quidditch team.

...

The Hogwarts team walked into the stadium under their usual palms. The team in black and gray uniform went straight into the warm-up field. The doubles were made naturally, but Finn was lost. He didn't understand why he had to heat up with Ezra Goyle and not with his girlfriend, who was stretching along with Santana Lopez. Even so, he accepted. Ginny did the lecture, speaking motivational words to the group and recalling the tactics that would be applied. Because of the physical strength, the team had as chasers Netunus, Bail and Santana. The trio would have the almost impossible mission of trying to score a goal in the undefeated Gimle Vidar if they wanted to reach the final game. Quinn Fabray was chosen to be the seeker, since she was in a better phase than the cerebral Rose Granger-Weasley.

The game started. Netunus took possession of the quaffle. He passed the ball to Bail, who set up the play that ended in Santana. Even giving her an incredible dribble, Vidar defended. And so it was in the second, in the third, in the fourth, in the fifth attack that was thrown to the goal. The Hogwarts trio was better, but Vidar defended impossible balls. It wasn't a pretty goal, but the Durmstrang player managed to shrug them off and fired a low shot past the keeper to give his team the lead.

The game was hard. Very physical. Quinn didn't have many problems because of the position, but Santana was suffering from the pressure. The players were stronger than the other teams. They were older than she was. Scorpius did a good job, the defence line worked and Santana was able to withstand all the truncations. The first half ended in 40 x 0 for the local team, which was considered great.

"Is everything okay, Lopez?" Ginny was worried about the team's main chaser at the time.

"They're beating so hard that my shoulder is kind of sore. But I can still play."

"OK. Be honest if you can't play anymore. I don't want you to get hurt because of stubbornness, Lopez."

"Yes ma'am."

"To others, good work. We need to resist as much as we can in defence and keep trying to stick to Vidar's defence."

"It's impossible, coach!" Netunus raged. "It looks like it's everywhere. He looks like he can anticipate every move. It's like a seminviso."

Santana listened to Netunus's complaint and thought about it. A seminviso? She remembered the conversations she had with Adila and also with Ebo. She remembered what they said about inner creatures, which British understood as patrons. According to her friends, it was rare for wizards to have magical creatures as patrons. Hers was a hippogriff. What if Vidar's was one of those special wizards whose patron was a seminviso? To surprise such a magical creature, she recalled what she read in Scamander's book: One couldn't think the obvious to capture a seminviso. it had to surprise itself. But how?

The second half began with the Durmstrang. They attacked fast, but Scorpius got the defence. Santana took the quaffle and fired at the opposing arcs. The play was all individual. Instead of throwing, she stopped in front of Vidar and held the quaffle. The keeper was confused. The chaser was standing there, with the others approaching at full speed.

"Santana!" Quinn shouted, watching from the top.

Santana sighed and braced herself for the impact. The chaser slammed hard and she let the quaffle slip away without predicting the direction. It was a commotion as the quaffle passed Vidar, touched the lower rim and whimsically entered.

The goal was celebrated as if it were the end of the championship. Vidar was puzzled. Durmstrang's entire staff was perplexed. Santana Lopez, a Hogwarts chaser, had just broken a record that lasted just over a year. The impact, however, wasn't without consequences: she felt a lot of pain in the ribs. Santana omitted the discomfort for the coaches to continue playing. Only something has changed. Vidar was so upset that in the next counterattack of Hogwarts, Santana managed to score again with an unpretentious normal dribble, as in a recreational play. Hogwarts hit 40 x 20.

Durmstrang scored. 50 x 20. Out of the game for Hogwarts. Netunus and Bail set up the play and threw to Santana at the last moment. But instead of her throwing into space that would be obvious, she chose the most unlikely angle, in which Vidar's defence would theoretically be easier. But he anticipated it, and the quaffle stepped into its counterpart. 50 x 30. Hogwarts was still in the game. Santana celebrated the goal with the bleachers. She was on her back as Durmstrang's beater flung the bludger at her almost point-blank. The ball destroyed the back of the broom, causing Santana to be hurled at full speed against a concrete column in the bleachers. Her world darkened.

…

When Santana opened her eyes, she found herself lying on a narrow bed with bars on the sides. It was in a small space, with white partitions. She noticed that the sheets were white, just like the sweater she was wearing. This was definitely a hospital. She just couldn't remember how she got there. Her last memory was that she was playing Quidditch. Santana tried to move her body and she felt many pains. She ran her hand over her face and found that her head was bandaged. She tried to move her foot and noticed that her right leg was plastered.

"Good afternoon." The soft low voice came from her side. A warm, soft hand held hers next. The owner of the voice decided to appear in her field of vision. "Hi."

"Lily?"

"How are you doing?"

"I... where am I?"

"Hogwarts."

"What do you mean, Hogwarts?"

"You spent five days sleeping."

"Five days?"

"It was an ugly fall. You hit the structure of the bleachers after a serious foul. He got a cut on his head, fractured two ribs and broke his leg. "

"Oh ... but ... did we win?"

"Almost."

"Almost?" Santana tried to swallow the saliva but only felt horrible dryness. "Water..."

Lily went to the moringa on the small bedside table beside the hospital bed and filled the glass halfway. She helped Santana raise her head so she could take a little sip of water. Santana closed her eyes because the world began to spin. She took a deep breath. With her eyes closed, she asked for another sip. Lily helped her once more, as if she were a real nurse. Santana was impressed how such a small movement made her so tired. She was so weak. Her body was badly bruised.

"Tell me about the game," Santana said even without opening her eyes to try to control the dizziness.

"Brittany came in your place, but it didn't work out. I don't know how you managed to score three goals in Gimle Vidar. Because after they got you out of the game, no one could do it again. Gimle was what he once was, like magic. I got in Netunus's place to close the defence. Then Quinn took the snitch and the game ended tied. We lose in the free throws. "

"What the hell!"

"Yeah... it sucked. At least we won the third place race the next day. Your medal is with Rachel."

"Rachel?"

"There was a dinner in our honour when we arrived. We think your sister should represent you."

"Where is she?"

"She's been here so far. She's worried and it looks like your dad's on the way."

"What about you?"

"What about me?"

"Why are you here?"

"Because I care about you."

Santana tried once more to swallow the saliva, which came dry. She needed a little more water, but she wasn't sure if her weak stomach would accept it. She opened her eyes. She felt dizziness under control. Her eyes focused on Lily Potter's handsome face.

"Thanks. Thank you for being here with me. "

Lily nodded and held Santana's hand again. She sat down next to her and watched her colleague close her eyes to rest. Just then Padma Patil was called: the patient woke up and, thanks to the good god, she was well.


	7. Year 5 - part 1

Neville finalized the meeting by enumerating all the arguments about why Finn Hudson was the chosen one, the champion of light, according to the prophecy. They all agreed with the professor and decided that Finn should receive special protection. Neville was encouraged to continue with Finn's training at Hogwarts. It was also decided that the other two should receive special attention and protection, since it was critical to prevent them from suffering the so-called "turning point" that would take them to the other side. Avoiding the prophecy, after all, was one of many missions.

In the end, Neville, satisfied with the discussions, left the Blacks' former house (used at meetings of Dumbledore's Army and the Order of the Phoenix). The members left the residence and apparated with their respective assignments, except the Potters and Granger-Weasleys.

"Do you think it's wise to make him think he's right, even if we know he's wrong?" Ginny questioned her husband. "The kid, Hudson, can become what we fear if the turning point is just the deception he can suffer when he discovers the truth."

"It's worth the risk, Ginny. It's a good strategy even to confuse the other side." Harry stroked his wife's hand.

"It's worth the risk if we assume that Lopez won't be corrupted under any circumstances," Hermione observed with the same usual insight. "Don't forget what Draco said: that they are very close."

"The worst part is that I sympathize with Nell," Ron confessed. "That girl is too arrogant and I think we're getting too attached to a prophecy without considering relevant details."

"Like what?" Hermione questioned her husband.

"How could Lily have children with another girl?"

"Adoption, sperm bank or even transfiguration." Hermione pointed out. "The possibilities are endless, both for us and for Muggles." She then approached Harry and Ginny. "How are you guys looking at this?"

"Except for having to protect Santana Lopez, even wanting to kill this girl?" Harry grunted.

"Harry... we agreed not to interfere with our daughter's love life. Not even because of a prophecy. She's going to be with anyone she wants." Ginny hugged herself, still unsure of the latest developments about Lily's personal life. "We teach her well and now we're going to have to trust that."

"I don't want her to flirt with anyone." Harry was true with himself. "She's my little girl and it breaks my heart to know someone's going to..." He shivered. "I hate to even think about it."

"These things happen, Harry." Ginny stroked her husband's hair. "We can only wish our children make the right decisions at the right time, with the right people."

"My goddaughter's love life is very interesting, but you looked so hard for it that you missed out on really important information," Hermione warned. "Lopez began to be interested in doing wandless magic. Rose talked about it. That is why Lopez sought the Uagadou student. She started learning how to do it."

"Everyone knows it's very difficult, probably impossible, to do complex, strong wandless magic." Ronny sniffed. "It's a waste of time."

"Could be, Ron. But it is likely that will be the way things will end." Hermione showed the illustration, the only image generated about the prophecy. There were two wizards without faces and no definition of sex. One was standing with his wand attacking, and the other on his knees shielding himself with only his hands in front of his face. The stand was drawn on a somber background and the one on his knees on a light background. "Anyway, we'd better start discouraging her. Because otherwise it's how she's going to die and we're all going to lose."

...

"You're never going to play Quidditch again!"

Santana exchanged glances with Rachel and they both managed to laugh at Shelby's horror-filled face of watching the first professional Quidditch game in Westchester, NY, home to the NY Thunders. They played the regional classic against Salem's Fire.

Shelby was annoyed to learn that her daughter had been badly injured in a Quidditch match as a result of an unfair move. That's why Santana invited her mother to watch a game. Her intention was to show how cool and exciting it was. But Shelby didn't understand the rules, and was even more horrified by the physical dynamics of the game.

"I'm no longer impressed by you whether you broke your leg and two ribs. I'm amazed you left alive!" Shelby raged through the crowd of wizards leaving the stadium.

Santana was still on crutches when she and Rachel boarded the plane back to New York. The healers were able to put all the bones in place in a touch of magic, but the calcification was a natural process, that demanded time.

"When I get well, you're going to fly with me in a broom through Manhattan."

"San, you're going to kill our mother." Rachel grunted without a smile. She even loved to see the scene. Shelby screamed in B minus.

"Just because you don't like to fly, elf, doesn't mean mom won't like it."

Rachel frowned at Santana. She really was afraid to fly, especially in the crazy way the Quidditch players or broom runners seemed to want to defy all the laws of physics. But if it was a slow, leisurely ride, like one she did with Hugo while the Hogwarts team was in Durmstrang, she wouldn't have thought bad.

The women got into the teleportation line, and Shelby started to hold her breath right away. They needed to use one of these to get to the stadium, and Shelby vomited all breakfast on arrival. She wasn't anxious to repeat the experience. First it was Rachel who entered the chemical toilet cabin. Then Santana. Shelby hesitated to enter the cabin. It really packed.

"Are you going or not to get out of here?" A middle-aged man complained.

"Of course." Shelby said wary.

"No-majs." The man grunted.

Shelby heard the man's grunt and it made her angry. As someone who had never really been in a socially degrading situation, she felt little in the way of class tensions. As a woman, she endured a world that was still sexist, but again, without major difficulties. As a white woman, she never experienced any embarrassment that migrants and people of colour could suffer, even in a cosmopolitan city like New York. She had a brown daughter who made her experience the suffering for the other. Still, it wasn't the skin itself. Being a muggle, or a no-maj, as the Americans said, made her feel like an alien, like a second-class being. The feeling was terrible, but it made her grow into her own pride, a stupidity to raise her head in an environment where many people looked at her in a discriminatory way. When Shelby told a witch she was a no-maj, it was as if Shelby had turned a bug into the woman's eyes. Then, yes, she came to understand the suffering that Rachel and Santana had in both worlds.

She looked back and stared at the man and lifted his chin. Shelby entered the public bathroom booth (she thought the wizards had a very strange sense of humour), sat on the toilet, flicked the flush button and vapt. She stepped out into a fireplace on the side of the small wizard village in midtown Manhattan. The package in the stomach was present. Shelby tried to hold on until she threw up in a dumpster, under the sorrowful glances of the wizards passing by.

"Are you all right, Mom?" Rachel asked.

"How do you get used to it?"

"It's not that bad. They say that first-time apparition is much worse."

"Where is your sister?"

Rachel looked around and didn't find Santana.

"I don't know." She shrugged, not understanding Shelby's panicked look.

"Santana!" Shelby shouted in the middle of the street. "Santana!"

"Mom?" Santana came out of a bookstore. "What's going on?"

"Don't leave me!"

"OK?"

Shelby put her hand on her daughter's shoulder and wanted to leave the village as quickly as possible. From the last conversation with Juan, she began to fear for the life of her eldest daughter.

The theater teacher and vocal coach couldn't nail the eye that morning. Shelby checked the girls room a few times and sighed. She knew that her apartment was protected and that if someone tried to enter uninvited, she would have to work hard to break through the magic barriers. But how could she trust a security mechanism she couldn't see or understand?

"You need to relax, Corcoran." Shelby jumped when she heard the half-mocking auror voice. She sometimes forgot that her white cat was a person. Or an animagus, as the wizards called it.

"I'm doing my best." Shelby walked to the kitchen. "But it's not being easy. Coffee?"

"Black and sugar-free." Sue Sylvester sat down at the small table in the den while she watched Shelby put the water to warm up. "If she does, it will be much easier to protect her. It was a stupid decision you made to hide what she is."

"How can I tell about something whose dimensions I can not understand? It's not so simple to get to my daughter and say, look, you're in a prophecy that says you're going to have to fight someone else and that only one will come out alive!"

"It seemed simple now."

"Don't kid yourself." Shelby poured the auror, then made her own cup. "Santana may die because of an idiotic prophecy."

"Everybody is going to die someday." Sue appreciated the scent of the coffee before taking a sip and grimacing at the bitter taste. "How can you like this?"

"Black coffee and sugar free. What did you expect?"

"You make it look good in the movies." Shelby sighed and shook her head. Sue set the cup aside. "Your girl is smart. She is also strong. And very powerful for the age she has. Witches like her usually live 150 years old easy, easy."

"Maybe, but for now, she's only 14, and she almost died in a stupid game."

"What an exaggeration!" Sue rolled her eyes. "Listen to Corcoran, your girl will be fine. We'll protect her, even though she knows how to take care of herself."

"I wish I had your certainty."

The light from the girls' room lit up, shifting Shelby's attention. When she looked for Sue, the auror had already turned into a cat and was on the carpet of the room licking its paw. Rachel left the room and headed toward the kitchen, where she found her mother drinking coffee.

"With insomnia again? Are you ok, mom?"

"I'm an adult and I may have insomnia. What's your excuse?"

"Bathroom and thirst," Rachel said as she filled a water bottle. "Is it my impression or were you talking to someone?"

"I was talking loudly to the cat and to myself."

"Really?" Rachel giggled. "Worried about your job?"

"With my job, with you two, with your grandmother's health."

"What's Grandma have?"

"Diabetes."

"Oh... are we going to have to go to Ohio?"

"Not for now. Your sister wouldn't want to see your grandfather after what happened last year. Honestly, neither do I."

"Good!" Rachel sighed and then panicked for fear that Shelby had been offended. "I mean, Ohio is interesting and grandmom is cool..."

"Ohio is a boring state, and my parents' home is a hostile place for you." Shelby approached her youngest daughter and patted her hair. "Rachel, are you happy studying at Hogwarts and living in this wizarding world?"

"I think I am. Hogwarts is a tough place, but I made friends, I have my sister around. And doing magic is really cool."

"How is it?"

"It's as if we were Jedi. Only instead of a saber, we use wooden rods with nuclei of mystical animals, and we say magic commands."

"It makes it look like I calve Luke and Leia." Shelby sighed.

"Bad comparison, mom. It makes me look like I kiss my sister."

"Excuse me."

"Although Santana has been creating a stir during the Quidditch Cup."

"What? Such as?"

"She kissed Lily Potter and Quinn Fabray!" Rachel said confidentially. "Brittany tried to get her back, and there's still a girl in the choir, Marley, who has the biggest crush on her."

"Oh, and that's a big deal, I presume."

"Marley's too young for San, and my sister doesn't even know she exists. Brittany and Lily are popular girls at school for being pretty and playing for the team. Lily is still Harry Potter's daughter, you know? Quinn is beautiful and comes from one of the richest families in England. Oh Merlin! My sister made out with all the girls of the Quidditch team, but Rose! I don't know how she can do it."

"Well, your sister is also very pretty and charming. But what about you? Are there any crazy kids to be your boyfriend? Or girlfriend?"

"I don't know." Rachel blushed. "Hugo, perhaps?"

"Ah! Tomorrow I'll want to know all about this Hugo."

Shelby watched her daughter go to the bathroom and then come back for the glass of water before going to the bedroom. She turned out the lights in the room. Before going to her own bedroom, she looked at the cat. They exchanged glances. Summer vacations would be long.

…

If the Muggles found out what a single wizard would do, the plays on Broadway would cost less and it will have more and better special effects. It was lovely to see such vivid scenes change in the blink of an eye, to see the light of the stars in one scene or a landscape of spring in the next. In a way, wizards have never called muggle movies because theater has always been the art of excellence, followed by music and paintings.

It was one of the theater's gala nights when Guimble Moon debuted the newest piece, 'The Black Side of Newton's Mirror', which Finn Hudson took Lily Potter to for the first date. He got two tickets thanks to Burt Hummel's help: Moon owed him good money and he cut off a portion of the debt in exchange for two tickets at the theater counters. Finn arranged himself in the most elegant way possible and sought Lily at home in suburban London (Burt was the driver of the young couple). They watched the play and then went out for a special dinner in a muggle French restaurant. At the end of the meeting, Finn took Lily into the house and was rewarded with a gentle kiss on the lips and the certainty that one of the most beautiful girls at school was his girlfriend.

He left with a silly smile on his lips, dreaming of the girl who was sure to be his until the end of the day.

Lily entered the house under the questioning look of her parents and Albus Potter. She shook her head and thanked James for going out to study cooking in Italy. She couldn't take another pair of inquisitive eyes.

"How was the date?" Ginny questioned.

"Pleasant." She replied without wanting to elaborate. "Finn took me to dinner at a French restaurant."

"Did you warn him that you hate French food?" Albus questioned.

"I didn't know he would take me to dinner in a fancy restaurant, let alone French."

"Ok." Harry smiled. "Regardless, you can't say the kid is not trying."

Ginny watched the family interaction. Harry was dealing with such a dating in an exemplary manner, in his wife's opinion. But there was a good reason: since Finn Hudson wasn't 'the one', he knew the youngest daughter would not go far with the boy under normal circumstances. Ginny thought Albus would be more jealous of his sister. She was surprised to see how the middle son never muttered or grimaced when Finn's name was mentioned.

"Are you hungry?" Ginny asked. "Want some fruit salad?"

"No. I'm going to my room."

Ginny and Harry exchanged glances and decided not to go after Lily to find out more details of the meeting. It wasn't yet the time. Ginny continued to edit the texts of the special sports book she coordinated on the Daily Prophet while her husband continued to play magical naval battle with Albus.

Lily closed the bedroom door and sighed. She checked her tray of letters and messages. It was still exactly as she had left.

" _Hey!_ "

Lily looked at the fireplace and saw Melissa's face, which showed through Floo's net.

"Hi, Melissa."

" _I've been trying to talk to you for a long time. How was the meeting?_ "

"Cool," Lily said simply.

" _Just cool? You're dating the guy who's going to be the next Hogwarts Jude Bails!_ " She was referring to Hogwarts's most popular boy when they entered school. Bails was handsome, smart and was part of what was considered the best Quidditch team in Hufflepuff's history. He was in seventh grade when the girls entered Hogwarts.

"Who said?"

" _Who didn't say? Everyone wants to be with him after he came to Hogwarts as a hero. And you're the lucky one. Do you know what that means? You and Finn will form the most powerful and popular couple when we get back to school._ "

Lily sighed. Melissa was a great friend, but she never lost the flattering, dazzled air.

"Finn is cool and kind."

" _Oh, I already knew it. Tell me more! Does he kiss well?_ "

"You could say that." Finn never made her wobbly, but you could not say he was kissing badly. He also had credit for being kind and respectful. At no point did he try to force situations. Even though it was a lie, Lily was satisfied with her friend's shout of joy. "Honey, you'll excuse me, but I'm very tired. We'll talk more later."

" _OK. You're going to tell me everything when you come here_."

The image of her friend disappeared. Lily frowned, picked up her wand and close the fireplace. She opened the drawer of the bedside table and took the picture of the Hogwarts team taken the day before the crew boarded for Durmstrang. Everyone was wearing the team uniform. The boys were behind and the girls ahead for the official record. The sequel was Brittany, Quinn, Santana, Lily and Rose. Brittany made a face, Quinn was slightly ahead, Santana had put her arm behind Lily and put her hand on the redhead's shoulder. Rose was further away from the girls because she had leaned close to Scorpius, who had his hand on her shoulder. The moving picture showed Santana smiling gently, turning her face toward Lily and then turning back to face the photographer. Lily ran her fingertip over Santana's image. The gesture was almost unconscious.

"Why don't you get out of my head?" Lily questioned herself.

…

Quinn concentrated on two ants approaching. From that angle, she could see the antennae and maybe the claws of the insects. They were brown and large. Quinn remembered that she had once discovered a nest of them that infested the basement of the mansion where she lived in Tutshill. Perhaps it was because of the proximity of the small Wye River, or even the forest, though Quinn couldn't imagine why the ants would choose to make a nest in that cold, dark mansion instead of being free between the trees and the grass.

There, her face pressed to the ground, she stretched a finger. She moved carefully because she didn't want to pummel the muscles of her body. Quinn toyed with one of the ants and pushed it with the tip of the nail, but the insect continued to walk towards her. Maybe it was a remnant of the nest that had been wiped out in the name of sanitization. Maybe it was an act of revenge for the death of thousands of its sisters. Or maybe the ants were being attracted simply by the smell of sweat, blood and urine.

Quinn no longer knew how long she lay on the icy stone floor, not even aware of the extent of her injuries. Her clothes were filthy, her body was burning, her throat was dry. Never in her life had she ever imagined that she could be tortured that way. She found that it was much worse than the occasional beating she used to suffer whenever her father disciplined her. She shuddered as she heard footsteps. Now there were more than one person. She was lying on the floor, her back to the cell door, so she didn't immediately identity the people.

"The work was done." That was the torturer's voice. "I assure you it's not her."

"Are you sure?" That was the voice of Russell Fabray.

"Yes. My methods are very efficient. I have done all the possible tests, I have analyzed all the evidence that we are aware of. I assure you your daughter is strong, Mr. Fabray, but she is not the one we fight."

"With the discard of your daughter, we have two candidates left." A third female voice spoke.

"Santana Lopez and Finn Hudson." The torturer revealed. "It won't be easy to approach them without getting attention. They're under strong Auror protection."

"We just need to test one of them. Finn Hudson may be more complicated than we imagine. Lopez, on the other hand, is a possibility, if we have a little patience." The woman said as if she was bored. "We have exactly the person who will bring her to us."

"Who?" Asked the torturer.

"Quinn." the woman explained. "They're close."

The woman was referring to the photo that stamped the subject that celebrated the victory of Hogwarts on Koldovtoretz in the Glass of the Schools. For Quinn, it was one of the moments of self-assertion in which she let the rebellious inside her surface and show the world that she could also challenge society and the status quo. For Russell Fabray, it was an act of insolence that he would have to correct at the first opportunity. His family, after all, was pure. There were no spaces for half-bloods and wizards with other 'deviations', such as homosexuals. If his daughter had such a tendency, he had to show her that a woman's vagina was made to house a penis. If he didn't do it himself for the sake of principles he thought he had, he had someone to do it. It was thus, through an agreement with a rich and pureblood man, that Quinn lost her virginity. All because of a kiss on your best friend.

She found that her father's repertoire of bad things had come to the full when he allowed her to be raped. But behold, the following week, she is dragged into the basement of her own house. She feared for suffering the same violence. Instead, she was subjected to torture without even knowing the reason. All the torturer told her was that she had to go through the tests.

"Quinn will bring her to us." The woman continued. "Let's explore this proximity to test Santana Lopez. If she's who we think, we can get rid of the problem right away."

"No..." Quinn said weakly, still not turning around.

"What did you say?" Russell opened the cell and approached his daughter.

"I won't betray her..."

"Quinnie, you're going to do exactly what we want," Russell said with a cruel calm. "Or I'll personally make you suffer all the consequences."

...

Facts about the wizard court. The first is that a lawyer needs to face a whole court of prosecutors who are both juris and judges. The minister in charge knocks the hammer almost as a formality, since cases whose decision fell into his hands were few. It didn't seem fair (it often wasn't), but that was how things worked in the legal department of the Ministry of Magic. There were, of course, established laws and a penal code whose interpretation depended heavily on court humour. There were no instances, so the decision was final. For another judgment, something extraordinary would have to happen, as the defendant fled and prove its innocence to obtain forgiveness. There were also the negotiations that would be considered bizarre (and were) for the muggles point of view, as someone to take the blame and propose a punishment in favour of the other.

A person was considered an adult at age 17 according UK laws. The legal age varies according to countries or communities. For example, in Russia, the age is 16 years old, in South and North America Communities and in the African Community is 18 years old. In the communities of the Middle East is 14 years old.

So, in the UK, a person could only be judged as an adult by reaching that age range. Minor wizards had a specific code and milder criminal penalties. At times, this brought interpretations even more guts. Luckily for Noah Puckerman, he wouldn't be judged as an adult, which would immediately free him from a stay in Azkaban.

"It's almost time." Samuel looked at his watch and watched the court's anteroom move. Glory was on the other side with her parents. She wasn't the accuser, but the central witness (and interested party) at the trial. Also, in the ante-hall were Mike Chang and Finn Hudson, Puck was accompanied by his parents and the defender.

"I don't believe he was against me." Puck referred to Finn Hudson. "We were the three gentlemen of the apocalypse. I can't believe he turned his back on me because of a girl."

"I'm on your side, brother." Samuel slapped his back.

"We are the two gentlemen of the apocalypse." Puck greeted Samuel.

"Until the end."

Puck was summoned by the court. The parents and the public defender went in with him. Samuel and the others entered the court in the space reserved for observers: how witnesses and stakeholders were defined. These could only be manifested if requested. Puck positioned himself in the center of the room full of jurists and court members. There were some wings with different tendencies in the group. There were conservatives and so-called humanists. There was also a group of experts who used to conduct the debate next to the judge supposedly in a neutral way.

The lawyer's argument was to disqualify the accusation of rape. First saying that the sex was consensual, no matter if it was the consequence of a stupid teenager game. The second argument was based on the admission that Puck physically assaulted Glory with the agent that he was out of temper tantrums. It was also glued to take into consideration that the act wasn't intercourse sex. The lawyer asked that the immaturity of the defendant be taken into account.

The jury asked Glory to speak, followed by Finn. Most male jurists helped Puck in the first indictment after a debate over what characterizes a rape. It was clear that the misogyny prevailed over the arguments of the so-called humanists, who defend the characterization of the crime through the aggressor's attempt to take advantage of a particular situation to psychologically press the victim. It was an argument that little worked among the muggles, who had a more advanced legal system, albeit slower. The chances of working in a more visceral world would be even smaller. Puck, however, didn't escape the conviction of aggression considered serious to a colleague inside the school, since the School Cup of Quidditch was considered an activity of the school year. Everything that happened in Durmstrang was counted as acts in school environment.

"Sex between students is prohibited within the school and subject to suspension." Said Judge Howard Littletiff. "An aggression of such embarrassment of a sexual nature is liable to expulsion, and the consummate act would give him pain with restriction of freedom. Thanks to Mr. Hudson, this didn't happen. We understand that you were motivated by the inconsequential impulses of your youth, but you must understand that there are reasonable limits, and a young man of your age is perfectly capable of understanding. So, Noah Puckerman, you are expelled from Hogwarts. Since you didn't do the O.W.L.S, you will never be able to practice magic anymore."

As a symbolic act, the judge took Puck's wand and broke it in the middle. Theoretically anyone could buy as many wands as it wanted, but not someone convicted. The boy would never be able to buy a wand for himself at any store registered with the British Ministry of Magic. His dirty name would also be sent to the International Congress of Witchcraft, so Puck could never buy another wand in regularized stores in much of the world. Because he was still underage, he still had the alarm that would prohibit him from practicing advanced spells out of school.

Puck came out of court so mad. The truth is that he was the great beneficiary of the trial, and his sentence came out cheaply close to what could happen if the case were analyzed without the misogynist ties of the conservative wing, which at that moment constituted the majority of the members.

"What injustice!" Lamented the lawyer for the parents, the client, and Samuel Evans. "A suspension was proper punishment. The court was very strict."

"And now? What am I going to do?" Puck asked tearfully.

"You will be able to dedicate yourself fully to the cause." Blaise Zabini approached the small group.

Samuel and Puck looked with admiration at the man who had become a true mentor in the past year.

Blaise Zabini was a recluse living on a Hogsmeade ranch. Eximius with potions, he had a small business manufacturing and supplying medicinal potions for the most diverse purposes. It provided supplies to St. Mungo's Hospital and also to the general population in the pharmacy he opened at Diagon Alley, next to the candy store. But he never showed up at the store. Zabini left sales to the two employees, who had the responsibility to get the goods at the ranch and do all the commercial work.

Zabini studied with Harry, Ron and Hermione, and was one of the Slytherins who fled from Hogwarts during Second Wizarding War. He was a man of great vanity and beauty. Accustomed to circulating from the most exclusive circles of the wizarding world, Zabini had free access to the conviviality of the most traditional families, such as Fabray, Notts, Blacks and Lestranges. And like every member of the wizarding high society, he despised them for half-breeds and humble families, such as the Potters, the Weasleys, and even the Evans and the Puckermans.

He became a reclusive man because of the same vanity, when, as an adult, he returned from Scandinavia with a scar that disfigured the right side of his face. Though he remained a wealthy man, he was disgusted with life. Until that came the prophecy that changed everything and gave it an egg purpose.

"Mr. Zabini," Samuel replied respectfully. "Why are you here?"

The middle-aged man looked sideways and gave a half smile.

"Business, boys. I'm here on business." He pulled out the hood he'd used almost entirely. "Can I count on you at tonight's meeting?"

"Of course, sir." Puck and Samuel responded at the same time.

Zabini patted Samuel on the shoulder before moving on. The meeting soon was more for a kind of cult consisting essentially of less privileged wizards, but proud to be descendants of some long lineage, to the point that many declared themselves descendants of the founders. In fact, after so many centuries, it is possible that virtually every British wizard who comes from a long line of European wizards has some kinship with the founders. What Voldemort and other so-called "descendants" claimed to be, was a family that gave a particular relic to the eldest son. It is the same monarchical logic. These descendants always ignored the countless younger siblings of their ancestors, as if genetics didn't apply to them.

But the important thing was that Zabini and other wealthy and supreme warlocks knew exactly who they wanted to reach among those poor but proud young men. Just as Dumbledore's Army worked incessantly to identify the two of the prophecy. Each one found his own, but he had doubts about the other. How ironic was that?

Samuel said goodbye to his friend, promising to meet soon. He was annoyed at what had happened to his friend, but he was more upset about Brittany's breakup. Even though their relationship was manipulated, he learned to love the Ravenclaw girl. Brittany was the only one who made him forget the obsession he felt for Quinn Fabray. At least for a while. Samuel entered in the relics store. Zabini's tutelage made him less interested in sports and more curious about rare magical artifacts. A brooch in the wizarding world was never a mere decorative ornament. There was always something extraordinary behind.

"It should have been you." Miranda Larson approached Samuel sneakily. The young man turned to Ravenclaw girl who must have been a Gryffindor too. He stared at her without interest. "You should have been banned too."

"What are you doing here, Larson?"

"I know what you're no saint, Evans. I know what you did to me and I know what you can do."

"Get out of here, girl," Samuel said with utter contempt.

"She'll never look at you," Larson said with some satisfaction.

Samuel took the wand and pointed it at his colleague. It held so tightly at the base that his hands were red.

"Get out of here, girl," Samuel repeated, causing Miranda a false smile.

"Sometimes I wonder what Lopez has so special about dating the only woman who makes up your mind. Surely, she must be much better than you."

"Avada..." Samuel took a deep breath and left the store before he'd screwed up.

He watched Miranda Larson leave the relic shop and swore to himself that one day he would make the girl pay for every word.

...

There was a change in the dynamics of students returning to class. Some of them displayed new brooches indicating that they were the new prefects of their respective houses. Finn Hudson was the prefect of Hufflepuff, Lily Potter of Gryffindor. By these and others, they came to Hogwarts as the perfect couple. Finn was the hero relating to one of the most popular girls in school. Brittany Pierce broke up with Samuel Evans, but the girl was wrong to think that she could have her first girlfriend and best friend back. With Santana exiled in New York for three months, they didn't have a chance to even remade their old friendship.

Rachel built a group of friends. Besides Hugo, she started to walk with Mercedes and Kurt. The four formed the backbone of the brave little muggle music choir.

Quinn Fabray was the new prefect of Slytherin. As such, she had extra privileges beyond the right to own a bedroom. Quinn found that the prefects' quarters were no big deal. The bedroom was small with a tiny window. But it was private, locked with a password of its own. No one else could touch their things. No one could enter without being invited. It was a relief not to have to spend most of the year listening to the symphony of snores.

"It's no big deal, as the advertisement makes it sound." Santana said as Quinn led her to the new bedroom.

"They say the heads' room is a lot better. They say they have bigger beds, even."

"It seems such a stimulus to become the biggest shooter." Santana sat on Quinn's bed. Realized that if the size of the bed was the same, at least the mattress was much better. "I'll miss you downstairs in the dorm. I'm sharing space with Sugar and you know what that means. I'm going to have to put up with a year's worth of twinkling until Rachel can share a space with me."

"You can stay here with me when you need a quiet place." Quinn tried to sound as natural as possible within a calculated speech.

"Will you rent the space?"

"No, we can start exercising our relationship here, where no one will get in the way." She leaned back to try to kiss Santana, who pulled away, lying down a little more in bed.

"Relationship? Calm down, Fabray. We're not on the same page."

"So let me tell you some spoilers for you to reach me." Quinn lay down on Santana and kissed her so there would be no doubt about her intentions.

Although Santana was kissing back, after all, the hormones of the nearly 15 years old warmed with the most beautiful girl in school on top of her, there was something that wasn't right. She and Quinn exchanged a few letters over the holidays, with a sexual teaser here and there, but there were no signs that their relationship would be on that level. Santana didn't feel that it was natural and it bothered her deeply. She pushed her friend gently and broke the kiss.

"Are we on the same page already?" Quinn gave Santana a little space.

"No."

"But you kissed me back." She rolled onto her side and sat on the bed, allowing Santana to breathe.

"Can be. Except this is very sudden. In a minute I'm visiting my best friend's new room. In the other, she become my girlfriend?"

"Sometimes I wish you had a penis! It would be easier for you to understand."

"Because is my brain above my neck and not between my legs? What's your problem, Fabray?"

"I don't have problems, Lopez. But I know yours. It's her! You didn't have the guts to have her when you had the chance and you lost her to the giant idiot. Now here I am, wanting us to happen, and you still don't have the courage to do what it takes."

"I think we have different concepts of guts." Santana got up from the bed, but before reaching the door, Quinn grabbed her arm.

"Wait. Sorry... you know I don't have a knack for these things. I rushed forward imagining that this is how things happen. You know I've never... dated."

"Okay, don't think I'm not flattered, but why the rush? If we really are going to take this forward, shouldn't we go slow? And don't come to say you have no game. You're smart and you're the best observer I know. You know a lot more things than I do. What is happening? What is really happening? Because that's not you!"

"Excuse me. I was hasty. How about we start over again? How about we start with a date on the three broomsticks?"

"Quinn..."

"It will be a day after my birthday and the day before yours. What do you think? We can celebrate together."

"Ok." Santana sighed.

"It means we're dating, right?"

"It means we're celebrating our anniversary together... on a date. But let's tone it down a bit. I don't want things to go insane between us. You are very important to me, what we have is very important to get spoiled because of the stupid hormones. I don't want to happen to us what happened to Brittany."

"Fair enough." Quinn's reaction was the first uncalculated one because there was genuine sadness in her voice.

Santana left her girlfriend's room and headed to the fifth/ sixth year female dormitory. Meanwhile, in the room of the prefect of Slytherin, Quinn Fabray was sitting on the bed with her hands on her face. She cried compulsively. She cried out of shame for what she was doing. Santana was her best friend. The only person who, from the first day of school, didn't act differently because she was rich and because her father owns a Quidditch team. Santana was authentic, just like her little sister, Rachel, who didn't fold for anyone. Quinn would date Santana easily, if the circumstances were different.

But Quinn was also an almost 15-year-old girl who had been through hell and feared for her own life.

She tugged at the sleeve of her sweater and pointed her wand at the design on her forearm.

"Get lost! Damn it! Disappear!"

...

Albus could barely pay attention to what his best friend, Scorpius Malfoy, and his cousin, Rose Granger-Weasley, were talking about during the head-boy's first weekly meeting with the other prefects. He could see the pride in both of them and he thought the position really fit. He was about to meet a young couple as well tuned as those two. Both were intelligent, they liked to behave in others, and tended to respect the rules rather than break them.

She watched her sister among the new prefects, excited by her position and privileges. She and Finn kept hand in hand and it made her want to vomit. Mike Chang and Sofia Lawless were the new prefects of Ravenclaw. In addition to Hudson, Barbara Flinkson was Hufflepuff's girl prefect. Lion Bates was the duo with Lily for Gryffindor. Quinn Fabray and George Patton were the duo of Slytherin. Newbies were always the most dazzled by the new privileges. Parents used to present their kids when the letter from Hogwarts came announcing the choice. Lily, for example, won the quaffle that belonged to Ginny.

Everyone wore the brooch on the uniform as if it were a really important insignia. For Albus Severus Potter, however, that had lost its importance and charm. Power for power was nonsense, especially when you couldn't change the rules. But there was one advantage that pleased him for still being prefect: the possibility of walking through the castle even after the curfew without being punished for it. He made good use of it, especially when he used the passage from Hogwarts to the old house of Aberforth Dumbledore.

Unlike the rest of the family, who loved and visited the half-giant Fleece Hagrid, Albus had a special connection with the other elder, who always received him with his usual grunts, but served him a beer (or a hot drink, depending on the season of the year and occasion), and they could talk. Aberforph was very debilitated by the old age, and Albus was the only one that paid attention to him at that height of the life.

When the meeting was over, Albus was relieved at the end of Scorpius and Rose's chatter. He could, finally, go to the precise room where he would have another of his secret meetings: with Santana Lopez. It would be the first time he'd talked to his friend since lessons resumed a week ago. He was excited to hear everything her friend would have to tell him.

Finding Santana already there was recurrent. For the most part, she'd come first. Different was to see her exercising as if she were in a yoga class.

"What the hell are you doing?" Albus smiled.

"Stretching." She responded as if that was obvious.

"Like this?"

"Oh, it was something I learned from Adila Amandi. I told you about her in the letter."

"Yes I recall. It's working?"

Santana put a sip at a distance and walked away. She took a deep breath, closed her eyes, tried to relax, and held out her hand. A quaffle began to creep on the ground slowly towards Santana, but, suddenly, the ball fired causing her to have to lower herself to not receive the impact. The ball stopped against the wall.

"I didn't know you were learning to charm bludgers!" Albus laughed.

"Believe it or not, I'm getting better." Santana sat on the floor in Indian position. "Adila warned that I would take longer than usual to master the art of making wandless spells because of my patron, and because I am an impatient imperialist... So I am being patient. I think it's a good exercise, right? Have patience?"

"I guess so." Albus sat down next to his friend. "But don't you think it's a waste of time? We use the wand because it makes everything faster and doesn't tire us."

"Yeah, but what if I run out of my wand for some reason and need a lot to defend myself? Don't you think that's worth the effort?"

"Why do you think I'd be in such a situation?"

"I'm not blind, Al. I know something's happening. The fact that I could no longer spend my holidays in London with my father... of my mother freaking out every time I said I was going to visit the wizarding village in New York City... and it has all these rumours because of such a prophecy."

"Do you think it has anything to do with you?"

"I know I'm not like the others." Santana externalized her concerns for the first time. "My patron is a hippogriff. I researched this on this vacation and found it to be a bad sign. Adila knew that from the beginning and alerted me. It's an indication that I can be more different than I can understand. Dumbledore's patron was a phoenix. And it's said that the Voldemort inner animal was a basilisk, not a simple snake. So before it can consume me in any way, I decided that it's better to learn to cope and to control it."

"And doing wandless magic will help? I don't think so." Albus worried about his friend because he thought Santana would take a little longer to figure out what it was.

"Maybe yes. Maybe not. What I can't do is sit idly by. Did you know I read up to Dumbledore's unauthorized biography?"

"Why would you read an unauthorized biography?"

"Because authoritative biographies mask a lot of relevant information about the person's character. My mother always said that. So, I read this book about Dumbledore. This biography reveals that he was gay, and that he was in love with Gellert Grindelwald. They both had this ideal of trying to find the deathly hallows for power. They were supremacists and planned to take a trip around the world just to find them. They wanted to take Dumbledore's sister because she had an obscurus. Aberforph was the voice of reason and tried to stop them. In the fight, their younger sister died in the crossfire. That was the tragedy that changed Dumbledore. He spent his entire life taming the great power in his hands and trying to redeem himself at the same time. It made me think... I don't want that power, but since I can't get it out of me, then I have to live with it. Try to harmonize it. I have to do this before it causes someone to die or someone I love dies because of me... my parents... my sister... or a good friend."

Albus took her friend's hand. He hated that she was right. He also hated to know things he couldn't tell her. He wanted to genuinely help Santana. Not because a prophecy said she would be her future sister-in-law, but because they were true friends.

"Have you noticed what every room needs in common? Whatever version you use it on? "Albus asked.

"That dull picture stuck to the wall?" Santana pointed casually at the object.

"Come with me."

Albus went to the board and opened it, revealing to Santana the only secret passage of Hogwarts that doesn't exist in the maps, nor of the Marauders, still in possession of Albus Potter.

"But how?" Santana was astonished.

"I'll introduce you to someone who can help you."

At the end of the path, after a considerable walk, the two reached another picture. This ended on the mantelpiece of an establishment. Albus helped Santana down, and her mouth dropped open to see that the picture on that side was Ariana Dumbledore, as it was shown in the book.

"Who's there?" An old man's voice came from the top of the stairs.

"It's me, old man!" Albus said loudly.

Aberforph appeared in his old, tired-looking, old-fashioned basement, walking with the aid of a cane. He stared at the boy and then at his guest. Then he grunted.

"This is the girl..."

"Yes, it is." Albus held Santana by the shoulders. "I'm sure you can help her."

...

Samuel was watching the room's moviment. Santana Lopez was sitting at the Slytherin table reading the Daily Prophet while her annoying sister chattered something with Sugar Motta and Quinn Fabray. How he hated Santana Lopez. It was because of her that Brittany broke everything with him. As if that weren't enough, Quinn Fabray, the girl he had always been in love with, was with her.

At the Gryffindors table, Finn Hudson was just smiles to Lily Potter. Finn Hudson, the giant idiot who turned hero, prefect and now would be the captain of the Quidditch team. He had still won the school's top prize: Lily Potter. Samuel watched the clan, as the Weasleys and the Potters were called, interacting as if they were the owners of the house. He could see between the Ravenclaws, Brittany talking to Mike. It was rumoured that they got closer during the holidays.

How did that school become so terrible? Did Samuel begin to see new colours after he stated attending the 'elected' meeting, as the group proclaimed itself?

"Hey, Sam!" Finn caught the boy's attention lost in his own thoughts.

"What?"

"The team's first meeting is tomorrow. You need to help me make the selection."

"Selection?"

"The new selection. We can't keep that same two-time losing team. Me and you and Pollux are going to take the tests tomorrow. Are you in?"

"Of course." Samuel waved still uncertain. He had more important things to do than play Quidditch, but he had to ponder certain things about social life at Hogwarts.

"Nice. I'll wait for you on the field."

Samuel watched Finn leave the hall toward the class they would have in a few minutes with the Ravenclaws. Everyone else in that room would start doing the same. It was just another normal day of school. Samuel was restless, still. It was as if a fire had burned inside him, and Hogwarts suddenly became oppressive. He wanted to scream, wanted to break free. He checked the coin again. No meeting had been scheduled.

"Evans!" George Patton caught the boy's attention. "It looks like you're out of space."

"It's nothing."

"You don't even have to say anything." George approached confidently. "This school is not what it should be: the idiot being the hero, the dyke picking up all the good girls, while we are the losers. What happened to Puck is just a matter of time to happen to us all. Because they are the ones protected and we the villains."

Samuel saw Quinn rise from the table, bringing Santana with her. They walked hand in hand and it irritated him. He had tried to talk to Quinn so many times, and she had so often rejected him. It didn't seem fair. It was as if the good guys were being condemned. He was sick of doing nothing. It was time to start acting.

...

Quinn was nervous. She walked up to Hogsmeade hand in hand with Santana, and couldn't help looking nervously to the side. If it was any normal situation, she would be happy to show that she was in a dating with an interesting person whom she liked very much. Quinn loved Santana. That was sincere on her part. Love alone wasn't necessarily romantic. But the truth is, she'd rather hate her best friend. And she'd rather want Santana to be indifferent to her, to be there only by the morsels she could give to a beautiful and rich girl.

"Nervous?" Santana noticed Quinn's uneasiness. "It's just tea and pie."

"Aren't you?" Quinn tried to smile but couldn't.

"Quinn, seriously. If you want, we will undo this date. Or rather, we can do it differently. We can still have tea and pie. I call my sister, Brittany and whoever else wants to come to stay at the table with us. Then it turns to a meeting of friends."

"No San. I want to have this date. It's just that I've never been in one. I'm just nervous, but it's because of this. Not to mention it's our anniversary."

"OK. But Quinn, seriously. It's just tea, pie and some conversation. We don't have to do anything else. Above all this, we are still friends."

Quinn sighed and nodded. Santana imagined her girlfriend was just trying to calm down, but the truth was that her friend was hating herself inside. Quinn recapitulated the plan in her mind all the time. Tea, take Santana to the cottage, leave the rest to the adults. She knew that someone would apparate with Santana to another place, like a kidnapping. The man would torture her, and if she was the one they were looking for, Santana would be murdered right there. But if she wasn't, that means the person they were looking for was Finn Hudson. Quinn didn't care about the boy. She hoped that her best friend would be just an ordinary person so that, after being tortured, she could be obliterated instead of dead. Done. All the excuses had already been invented. All articulated history. No one would really get hurt.

But what if Santana really was the special person they were looking for? Quinn would never forgive herself.

They reached Madame Puddifoot's tea-house. It was a pink, sugary place, frequented basically by couples. There were people who loved to eat there because everything was so good, but they arranged a false date to not be ashamed to sit down by themselves. People like Mercedes Jones, who used to drag poor Kurt Hummel to the tea house just because she loved the desserts.

When Quinn and Santana arrived, they met some well-known couples, as Joanna Thompson who had started dating Netunus Black. But what really caught Santana's attention was Rachel and Hugo Granger-Weasley sharing a small table. She wondered if she would come to them to make any comments or just keep an eye on the distance. She decided on the first option.

"Hey, losers." Santana's mere appearance made Hugo choke. "I knew you are close, but not that close."

"It's a crude way of referring to the fact that we're getting to know each other better," Rachel said nonchalantly.

"I'm just going to give you a quick message. Careful, Weasley, because if I know you've been off the rails with my sister, you'll see your hair literally become fire. Have fun, kids!"

Santana left the table, wanting to laugh, already imagining Hugo's desperate face and Rachel's irritation. Judging from Quinn's small smile, she hit the fly. Santana sat down at the small table and faced her girlfriend.

"Poor Rachel. It's her first date, and you spoil her that way?"

"I didn't ruin anything," Santana whispered. "Then I just made her first date funnier."

"Now she'll think you're spying on her."

"No, she'll think that this village doesn't really have many options. Either it's here or it's the Three Broomsticks. Or the music store, but there's no food there. No one will really consider old Dumbledore's bar. Have you seen that place? It smells of wet dog with mold."

"Really?" Quinn frowned. "I don't remember seeing you go to Hog's Head. No one with a reasonable or non-alcoholic social life goes there. The place gives me shivers."

"I went in there once... out of curiosity."

Santana was waiting for Quinn to swallow the story. They were in the habit of staying together on the walks to Hogsmeade, even when Santana was dating Brittany, the three of them were always together. It would be difficult to explain that Santana went to the pub with Albus Potter via a secret pass. It would even be difficult to explain that Santana and Albus were close friends.

"When?"

"That day you got the flu and couldn't come."

"Oh... that day?" Quinn tugged at her memory. That same year, the previous semester, she had caught the flu and was bedridden for a day. It was quite possible that Santana might have went there, though she hadn't heard any comment about it.

"Yeah, that day." Santana shifted her attention to the pie. "Let's serve ourselves?"

The desire was that Santana made that dating into something annoying and worthy to forget. But not. Santana was just being old Santana. She talked about everything, spoke gossip about others in a funny way and was struggling to have a good time. The food was great, the teas and the caramelized coffees too. It was a perfect date. So perfect that Quinn felt the urge to give a small kiss on Santana lips. One of those sweet caresses, which made Santana smile and close her eyes. Maybe that was the sincerest kiss Quinn had ever had in her life: at least the only one who had no articulated purpose behind it, whether that's the right reason or not. To Quinn's surprise, it was a great kiss, which made her feel so good.

Santana opened her eyes and realized that at the next table (considering that all tables were nearby in a small place like that), Finn Hudson and Lily Potter had just arrived. And yes, the redhead witnessed the soft kiss exchanged by the girls: it was the first thing Lily saw when she got in the tea house.

"The environment suddenly grew heavy," Santana grunted. "Must be because a whale came in here."

"Or it must be because you can't get this girl out of your head." It was what Quinn wanted: the excuse to end the dating.

"I don't feel anything for her," Santana grunted.

"Just like I didn't feel all the sugar I just ate." Quinn sighed.

"She's just annoying, ok?"

"Sure…"

Because Quinn was in a better position, she noticed the other couple's table and noticed that Santana wasn't the only one who was suddenly annoyed. Lily and she exchanged glances and Quinn could feel the little imaginary knives coming out of the redhead's eyeballs. It was the best definition of the popular saying "if look could kill."

"Let's go?" Santana suggested.

"Of course!" It was Quinn's turn to get restless again. It was time.

Santana and Quinn shared the bill and they left the tea house hand in hand. Santana's intention was to pass quickly on the Tomes and Scrolls, but Quinn pulled her to move in another direction.

"San, I need to get a quick deal at an aunt's house. Can you go with me?"

"I didn't even know you had an aunt who lived here." Santana followed her smoothly.

"My mother's older sister. She sent me a note saying she had a gift to give me for my birthday. Since she lives here, she didn't want to send for an owl. It would be too cold. She's probably going to talk some shit. I hope you don't mind."

"Okay." Santana was surprised at the amount of information given by a girl who avoided talking about her family. She'd known Quinn for five years, and all along, if Quinn had uttered five complete sentences about her family, it was a lot.

They got in the alley that led to Hog's Head and into an alleyway opposite the bar, toward an old-looking townhouse. It didn't look anything like the property that would have a rich, thoroughbred family like Quinn's. Santana thought it was odd and she was annoyed. But she would also trust Quinn with her life and try to put her questions aside.

Quinn knocked on the door and a man answered. Without a word he made mention of the two to get in. Quinn's heart was racing and she wanted to vomit the contents of her stomach. There was a woman in the dusty old room, the same one who had talked to Russell Fabray the day Quinn was "tested". It was a woman who should have been 50 years old, of peculiar and icy beauty. Maybe it was Quinn's aunt, Santana thought. There was another man with the girl, as if he was her guard.

"Hello, Quinn," the woman said quietly. "I'm glad I did your part."

With a sign from the woman, the man grabbed Santana by both arms, immobilizing her.

"But what..." Santana tried to break free. She was confused by the situation. "Quinn?"

"I'm sorry, San," Quinn said, her face expressionless.

The man who held Santana apparated, but to everyone's surprise, Santana remained. She was covered in a blue light for a few seconds.

"Of course you would be protected..." The woman pointed her wand. "Brachiabindo!"

A red light came out like a shot from the tip of her wand, but Santana, from the reflection of the emergency situation or the training, or from all of this, managed to make the spell bounce back defending itself with her hand. The gesture surprised everyone, including herself. But it wasn't the situation to think about what happened. Santana pulled out her wand and tried to fight back.

"Experlliarmus!" She disarmed the woman to then defend herself from the man's attacks.

Santana was doing her best dealing with two adult and experienced wizards. Fortunately, Quinn didn't attack her. The girl looked catatonic. Between one defence and another, Santana managed to make a fine attack, knocking the man down with a non-vocalized stun. This gave her the chance to reach the door.

"Colloportus." The man conjured, locking the door.

"Quinn!" Santana screamed as she continued to defend herself not only with spells but also running around the room, hurling objects at the attackers. "Wake up."

Quinn was awake. Only, she was too scared to act. She was afraid of these people because she knew what they were capable of, she was afraid of her father, afraid even of the horrible tattoo on her arm. If she helped Santana, it would be an act of insubordination. Something that could cost her life. It was precisely through her own life that Santana fought two opponents. It would be a matter of time for her to lose. The woman started to go on the left, the man on the right. They were going to corner Santana and make her pay.

It was when Quinn woke up and pointed to the magically locked door.

"Bombarda!" Quinn said.

She burst the bolt and, breaking it, made the man recoil when it was struck by the shrapnel. It was the opening they needed. Santana took the opportunity.

"Bombarda!" Santana repeated the spell by popping the bookcase behind the woman. "Stupefy." She attacked the man, giving him more time to reach the door.

On the way, she grabbed Quinn by the arm and pulled her out of the house. Two men apparated, getting in the way of the girls. Quinn recognized one of them as her torturer. Santana and Quinn found themselves surrounded and without a way out.

"Stupefy!" Quinn attacked the torturer while Santana defended both of the other attacks.

It was a losing battle. They couldn't run in that alley. There was no space and they were surrounded.

"Expelliarmus!" Another voice conjured. It was Albus Potter who came up behind the torturer and his companion, the same man he had previously tried to apparate with Santana. Albus was with Scorpius, who was quick to help.

"Stupefy!" Scorpius conjured the successful spell, knocking down an opponent.

"Stupefy!" Quinn conjured against the torturer, who fought back.

"Confingo!" Santana conjured against the man's partner, who fell in combat.

The middle-age woman ran to the torturer and apparated, acknowledging that battle. The same thing happened to the other man, who withdrew from the fight now that he was surrounded.

"Are you okay?" Albus asked the girls.

Santana, out of breath, just nodded. She bent down, putting her hands on her knees, and tried to recover.

"How... you?" Santana asked.

"It was luck. We were on our way to Hog's," Scorpius explained.

"San, you better get Quinn out of here." Albus said. "They can come back."

Santana didn't move. She was still stunned by the attack.

"Scorpius. Get the girls out of here." Albus ordered.

Scorpius nodded to his friend. He took Santana and Quinn by their arms and they walked to the security of the street. When they reached the main thoroughfare, full of people circling with no idea what had just happened, Santana disengaged herself from Scorpius. Frightened, her emotional state evolved into anger over everything she had just experienced. This wasn't an attack from a jealous teenager. There were four grown people wanting her skin off. Worst of all was knowing that whoever took her into the trap was her best friend.

Santana's stomach wrapped around her, making her vomit in the middle of the street. The gesture disgusted most passers-by, but not Lily, who ran as soon as she saw her colleague going awry. She didn't even care about the boyfriend she left behind.

"Santana?" The girl was startled to see the girl's face contorted in pain.

The greater pain wasn't physical. It was the pain of the betrayal. Santana got up and pointed the wand at Quinn, leaving the people tense.

"You ..." She approached her best friend. Tears filled her face. "If you put a finger on me again, I swear to God I'll kill you, Quinn Fabray."

When the girls were about to have an emotional breakdown. Scorpius decided to take Quinn out of there, because he felt that no one else would do it.

"Lily," Scorpius said calmly. "Could you accompany Santana back to school?"

"Of course."

Scorpius held Quinn and Rose. They apparated from there, leaving Lily with Santana. Lily lowered Santana's arm and hugged her. She had no idea what had happened, she was sure that no one else could care for her. Rachel rushed over to the girls, wondering what had happened to her sister and Quinn. Lily motioned for the girl to shut up. Rachel resisted not to object but accepted. Sensing that something very bad had just happened, Rachel tried to calm herself down a bit.

"Let's go, San." Rachel took her sister's hand.

Lily wrapped her arm around Santana's waist as Rachel continued to hold her sister's hand. So, between Lily and Rachel, Santana was driven back to Hogwarts, followed closely by Hugo and Finn.

Quinn also returned to the castle along with Scorpius and Rose. Like Santana, she felt nauseous. The difference was that the malaise was with herself.

...

Harry Potter left his room after spending more than an hour talking with the aurors in Hogwarts. He took off his glasses and wiped them with the soft cloth. It had become his favourite tic when he needed to think. He left the Auror department and took the elevator to the Law Enforcement Department, of which Hermione Granger was the minister. He smiled at the secretary and waited at the antechamber for do the job of announcing him. The secretary took no more than 30 seconds between going to the luxurious room, announcing Harry Potter and authorizing the entrance of the Auror chief.

Hermione smiled at her friend. He closed the door with a light touch on the wand and conjured so that no one outside the room could hear the conversation. Harry sat in the chair in front of his friend and allowed himself to remain silent for a minute.

"How was it?"

"Quinn was surprisingly collaborative." Harry sit down. "Well, after the events of today, they know who our chosen one is."

"And we know who their chosen one is?"

"We're almost certain," Harry growled. "We need to smash Finn Hudson once and for all."

"We need to talk to Nell. We can no longer afford to play games of misinformation, of hide and seek. We need to talk frankly with her, too. Lopez is no longer a little girl. We need to prepare it for what is to come."

"And then, Mione? What will happen?"

"We can withstand the pressure until the new generation is able to take over."

"They are our kids."

"They're part of this world, Harry. You better prepare 'em."

Harry nodded to his best friend. He hated that Hermione Granger was always right.


	8. Year 5 - part 2

"I don't want this, I didn't ask for it!" Santana said with her eyes swollen with tears. "Please, take it back, please!"

Harry Potter put his hand on the girl's shoulder to comfort her. He, better than anyone else, knew exactly what it was like to be the person to bear the fate of the world in the back. He was just an eleven-year-old when he learned that he was the one destined to fight the dark lord. Not because he was particularly talented or powerful, but because of a whim of fate. Harry recognized that if it weren't for his friends, for Ronny, and especially Hermione, he wouldn't be alive. The point was that he was chosen by the misfortune of a prophecy that jumped on his back when Voldemort made him a Horcrux. He was manipulated by the elders, especially by Dumbledore, to be sent to the slaughterhouse, as Severus Snape said. Harry Potter, better than anyone else, knew what it was to be a piece of manipulation and a weapon of war. He felt that his life only really began when Voldemort died, because the weight of being the chosen one left his back.

Regrettably, the weight went to another person: on the back of a young genious, half-blood, rather skinny girl. Harry Potter was feeling like shit telling a 15-year-old girl that was hers, and no one else, the responsibility to duel face to face with the new dark lord that was about to reveal itself. Telling her about her destiny meant that she would suffer, see people who loved to die. She would get hurt, she could even be discredited and considered an outcast at certain times. She would be betrayed for some reason (Quinn was only the first to do it).

"How can I get this out of me?" Santana asked desperately for the Auror.

"I should like to know, little one. No one wants your job, your destiny. I felt in my skin all the consequences of what it was like to be the chosen one. It's not good, but someone needs to do it."

"Hudson wants this job. He was happy, right? Let him be the chosen one! Please!"

"It's not that simple, Santana. I know you're scared. I know you can try to run away. But there is no way out but face the challenge. One way or another, no matter how many different paths you try, fate will bite your heel."

"Did you try to escape?"

"In a way... but I never really got the chance."

Santana leaned against the fence of the main bridge to Hogwarts and watched the turbulent waters of the river down there. It was a tight, rocky stretch where the water overcame the obstacles in a violent way until it found the calm of the lake. Santana didn't know, but it was from that bridge that Harry Potter, after beating Voldemort, broke the most powerful of the wands and threw the pieces into the turbulent channel.

"You call him Tom. Why?"

"It was his name, Tom Marvolo Riddle. The name of a man is not as scary as the name of the myth. It's a way to make him worldly. But you call him Voldemort when, to this day, it's rare to utter. Why?"

"It's just a name. I've never been superstitious."

"That's nice."

"The next dark lord... do you think he is Voldemort's reincarnation?"

"How can I know? Anyway, you need to get ready, Santana."

"Were you ready?"

"Yes. Especially when I was 16 years old. Dumbledore helped me get to know Tom better. I could understand his traumas, motivations, strengths and weaknesses."

"How can I practice, then, if I don't know who he is?"

Harry sighed. He knew who Santana's opponent was, but he couldn't touch the boy until he showed the so-called "turning point." It would be ethically reprehensible to kill an innocent, and it would not be good to reveal to Santana the identity of Samuel Evans lest there be any animosity between them.

"Prepare to do your best."

Santana continued to watch the nervous waters that passed in that section.

"Mr. Potter."

"Yes?"

"Were you afraid?"

"All the time." Harry smiled to Santana. "But I had my friends. So, that's the best advice I can give you: don't ever, ever, turn your back to your friends. Friendship will be the most powerful weapon you will carry."

Santana understood very well what Harry Potter was telling her. But that only added to the pain in her heart. How to remain faithful to friends if her best friend betrayed her?

...

Officially, Quinn was in detention. Head mistress Minerva and the members of the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army didn't want to feed any more buzz among the students about the scene that many of them had witnessed in Hogsmeade. Most people thought it was a very ugly fight. The teachers thought it was better this way. Quinn went to classes and then headed straight to either her room or to professor's office. She was forbidden to play Quidditch until the second order, which left Scorpius in a difficult position. There was no better seeker than Quinn Fabray at that moment in all Hogwarts, and the only player who really faced her was from another house.

After Scorpius, Albus and Santana told them everything they had experienced, Quinn was called in to talk. At first, she refused to give any clarification about her participation in the events. She said she would only talk about it in the presence of his father or a lawyer. But they're living in a pre-war situation and the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army had to think of putting pressure on Quinn in other ways until she felt like talking. The detention was the best academic punishment because it didn't take Quinn out of school (as in the case of suspension) and it didn't even need to notify the Ministry of Magic, which prosecuted expulsion cases, like Puck's. To put a friend in a life-and-death situation was a reason to expel, but what good it would do to Quinn? It would also be a missed opportunity.

Quinn saw the Slytherin team in uniform for the first practice of the year. Santana was among them and seemed unhappy. Quinn would love to be with them. But how? How to be forgiven by Santana? She tasted the wrath of her father's wrath and didn't want to suffer physical abuses of all natures again. That's why she was so afraid to speak, even though knowing that contributing to the enlightenment could prevent her from being expelled from Hogwarts. She knew that the more she silenced herself, the worse for her and the better for those who conspired with her father.

"Too bad you're grounded and unable to play." Quinn heard Kitty Wilde behind her. She noticed that the younger girl wore the number 7 shirt, the number of the titular seeker: her number. Knowing that she was out of the team hurt a lot. "I guess it must have been the mother of the fights for everyone in a minute to see you and Santana kissing, and in the other, to see her throwing up in the street and promising to kill you."

"Take care of your life, Wilde," Quinn grunted, but all she did was provoke a cynical smile from her colleague.

"I do. Apparently much better than you."

Kitty joined the rest of the team and went straight to Santana. She touched Santana's arms and smiled just because she knew Quinn was still watching. Santana gave a polite little smile, but it was enough to hurt. Quinn turned her back and headed for her bedroom. At least in that little place was where she could have a moment of peace in isolation.

"Hey Quinn!" She was approached by Samuel before she had a chance to get in the castle. The boy tried to give Quinn the right impression at all costs. Samuel thought that if he hadn't Brittany as his girlfriend and Santana had apparently broke up with Quinn, he might have a chance. "Don't worry, I'm sure you're going back to the team."

"Why don't you take care of your life, sucker!" She said irritably. Quinn struck an unobtrusive bump into Samuel, almost knocking the boy down.

Samuel watched Quinn walk into the castle and felt the anger grow inside him. He was tired of trying to be sweet and gentle just to be treated like crap by people like Quinn Fabray. It was time to change for good.

...

"Duels?" Rachel looked as if she'd heard the most outrageous thing in the world. "I already do classes of defence against dark art reluctantly because I condemn violence and I don't think students should have such a subject as mandatory. Now you tell me to practice some of dark arts in your secret club of duels?" Rachel crossed her arms.

"I'm not given you a choice, Rachel." Santana crossed her arms too. "You're going! You have to learn to defend yourself. Especially from now on."

"What's the reason?"

Santana tried to make a good excuse without reveal the truth. Besides, she thought it sounded pretentious to say she was the chosen one of a prophecy. The idea was still strange to her. Santana was still reluctant to accept her role, but she knew one thing: whether or not everything was true, her likely enemies would try to reach her through her family. Harry Potter had told her that an Auror named Sue Sylvester was specially assigned to protect Shelby. Juan knew how to defend himself and he still had the assistance of the Aurors. Rachel was in the safety of Hogwarts, but she couldn't stay all the time in the school area. She needed to breathe, live, go to Hogsmeade, socialize with friends. Rachel was a dreamy and full of life girl who was about to turn 14. She was an artist. Unfortunately, under the circumstances, she would have to learn to fight to ensure that the art she practiced continued to have a place in the world to which she belonged.

"It has to do with what happened in Hogsmeade." Santana calculated her words. "Rachel, there have been a number of hate incidents in recent months. Even first-generation half-bloods, like me, began to be attacked."

"So you were attacked in Hogsmeade?" Rachel raised her hand to her mouth with the revelation. "Quinn attacked you?"

"Quinn... did not attack me. You could say that she made things worse."

"What really happened?"

"I can't say and you're terrible at keeping secrets."

"I'm not!" Rachel was offended.

"You are." Santana waved her hands in the air. "That's not the point either. What you need to know is that muggle-born wizards are being pursued by supremacist groups. These people are revealing themselves on all sides and you need to be prepared to defend yourself. I assure you, diplomacy won't work when you come across a rabid supremacist."

"And your dueling club will help?" Rachel was still disbelieving.

"At least try to do it."

"Okay, I will give it a chance... but on one condition."

"What is it?" Santana sighed and rolled her eyes.

"If I'll go to your secret duel club, you need to go at least once in my choir."

"Oh, come on!" Santana snarled.

"Why not? You're familiar with the repertoire, I know you like muggle music. And don't tell me you can't sing because I've heard you on countless occasions. Your voice is beautiful!"

"Rachel, please!"

"We managed to schedule a performance for the week before the winter break and we need more people. It's the opportunity for us to redeem ourselves from the fiasco of that selection. It's going to be a day after my birthday! Please!"

"If I go to your stupid choir, will you learn to duel?"

"We have an agreement, Lopez."

"Deal then, Berry."

...

Neville got in the room of defence against darkness art. He found Finn rehearsing defensive and attacking moves, as if it were a choreography in which he worked hard. Neville still didn't want to believe the evidence. He had problems and to accept that someone like Santana Lopez is the person they should all support at the war that was to come. He couldn't sympathize with the girl he considered arrogant and coarse.

"I made a patronus!" Finn said excitedly. "It was incredible, Professor. I was really focused on something that made me happy and I felt the energy flowing through my body."

"A patronus. Wow!" At least it was a sign that Finn wasn't (at least still) a soulless lord of the darkness. "Could you do it one more time?"

"Of course!" Finn nodded solemnly. "Expecto patronum." Making the characteristic circular movement on the wand. From the magic smoke from the tip of his wand, it began to form a dog.

"That's very good, Hudson. Congratulations."

Neville lowered his eyes and winced. The boy seemed so excited to make a spell considered complex that Neville didn't dare tell him about his own bad judgment.

...

Santana was the first one to arrive and sat in the last row of chairs lined up in the music room. It was the attempt to go unnoticed. The second to arrive in the room was precisely her sister, who just smiled as she organized the material for the day. They didn't exchange a word because they already knew what they thought. Unfortunately for Santana, there was no way she could go unnoticed. Not her who, unintentionally, was one of Hogwarts' best-known students. Santana Lopez? Even most of the newcomers went to Hogwarts knowing who the main Hogwarts characters were.

Mercedes and Kurt got in the room arm in arm. They looked at Rachel and then at Santana. They looked at Rachel again with a startled look, but they didn't get any satisfactory silent answers from her friend. Everyone else had similar reactions. Usually the members spread around the room. Santana's presence changed the dynamics. It was as if the chosen one had an invisible repellent field around her. Nobody sat next to her, not even Brittany, and that didn't go unnoticed.

"Very well, folks. As you know, Professor Schuester will be leaving this week, but we can't stop our rehearsals." Rachel began handing out a paper to each colleague.

When Santana received hers, she soon recognized that the list had only Rachel's favourite songs.

"What is this?" Santana snarled, leaving everyone scared and even a little anxious of what might come.

"We're going to discuss the best song for me to do the solo."

"Are you crazy, or has your ego reached the stratosphere to the point of no longer seeing the census of ridicule?"

"Santana..." Rachel smirked, internally cursing herself for having invited her sister in the first place. "The choir has a specific functioning. I make the solos, Mercedes makes the final high notes, Blaine is the main male voice, Hugo plays piano and the rest works on harmonization."

"And does that professor Shoe of this fucking club agree with that?"

"Professor Schuester always rehearses this," Marley explained timidly.

"No one has a chance to make the ground? Only Slytherin's self-centered lunatic planted in the front like Maria Von Trapp leading the choir of children who salute?" Santana continued to question for Rachel's despair. "Doesn't anyone have the chance to prove that it's better suited to a song than Willow, the dwarf?"

"I'm the best singer, Santana Marie Lopez, I can assure you."

"Ah, I know you, Rachel Barbra Corcoran-Berry. You are so afraid to find someone better, that you try to turn everything else into your supporting characters by force. The truth is that you ended up confusing singing with technique with real talent."

"I don't need to prove anything!" Rachel snarled. "I am the best one here!"

"Prove it." Santana folded her arms and continued the challenging posture. "Let the group decide the best song, test the most appropriate voice. Allow Wheezy to compete with you… or… or… Porcelain Face… or Bob Marley girl. Maybe I'm better than you."

"I know you hated the idea of coming here. You can go, Santana."

"Now that I've found out that this is so fun?" Santana made a laughing face. "This song list? Garbage! I'm sure a soft crumb like that kid over there..." Santana pointed at Artie. "...has much better suggestions."

"I'd like to make some songs suggestions!" Marley raised her arm. "I don't like showtunes. How about some Adele?"

"That's right!" Mercedes also demonstrated. "This list is very white! You never have room for anything with more soul, like R'n'B."

In less than a second, the other students were encouraged to speak. All at the same time, in a delicious moment of chaos in the choir. Santana sat back in her chair, watching her sister trying to stop the chain reaction in vain. She had no intention of sabotaging her sister when she entered the club. She had no idea how things worked inside, because they never talked about it. Now that she knew how, she thought that an injection of quarrels and insults would do that group well. Besides, she might even be the chosen one, but that didn't mean she couldn't do little mischief for her own amusement. Life couldn't be just responsibilities, consequences and death threats.

In the end, Rachel left the room exhausted, wanting to kill her own sister. She was extremely sorry for having invited Santana.

"See you later, elf." Santana passed by her, still with a sly grin on her face. Obviously she would never set foot in that club again. Her part has been fulfilled.

...

Rachel met her sister earlier in the night, close to the students' curfew. The fourth-year had her eyes a little swollen from crying in anger after the disastrous meeting of the choir. She thought thousands of times not to go to such a duel club. Then she thought about how much it would be great to leave Santana badly in her little group of friends, whoever that may be. She had to admit that she was curious, too.

"Of course as an illegal club, you get together in the dead of night, right?" Rachel made a point of showing her moodiness.

"This is not fun, Rach. It's a need."

"Where is this secret place?"

Santana smiled and pointed her wand at the wall. A door of standard size emerged, much to Rachel's astonishment. She had never heard about the precise room. Santana opened the door, invited her sister. Once inside, the door disappeared behind the girls.

"Well, Rach knows the..."

Santana thought she would find only Albus and Lily, as it was initially agreed. She was puzzled to see that there were many more people. There were Scorpius, Hugo, Rose, the twins Lysande and Lorcan Scamander. Santana pulled Albus to the corner.

"What the hell, Al? Shouldn't it be just us, Lily and Rachel? Why is the clan weighing in this room?"

"I know, San. It was necessary." Albus Potter looked at the small group, which was basically his family, and smiled yellow. "Hello guys. We are gathered here in secret, just like our predecessors, because from now on it will be necessary to know how to defend ourselves. Because of times of peace, our defence classes have become somewhat protocolary. They won't be enough for what's coming."

"What are you talking about?" Rachel asked. She was the most unrelated person in the group.

"About the prophecy." Hugo explained softly to his girlfriend. "From the rise of the new lord of darkness."

"Is this really serious?" Rachel's eyes widened. "Is not it just a scary story?"

"I wish, Rachel." Albus picked up the word again. "The threat is real and we have to move faster. Rose, Scorpius and I are in the final year. We have little time to improve our techniques with Santana. And as for the rest of you, it's about time to learn. You need to learn as much as possible and start forming a new resistance group, as our parents did."

"Improving techniques along with Santana?" The Scamanders questioned. That question was also in the minds of Lily, Hugo, and Rachel.

"Because I was a bully for the first few years here, as you know, and I had to turn to learn to defend myself from the hatred and fear that I created myself," Santana said, imposing her presence on the others. "The yellow-headed twins are younger, but they must know my fame. I say that it matches and everyone else here is proof of that. I just didn't do worse because I spent a good part of my years in detention, with my privileges cut off. And because I knew half of the school would seek revenge against me, I needed to learn fast. I honestly think you are all a bunch of hypocritical pedants, except for my sister, who is basically a dazed egocentric. But we are experiencing a real problem here. Do you remember that attack two years ago from a supremacist student? Rachel was attacked. That was just the beginning. Two weeks ago, I was attacked in Hogsmeade by a group of supremacists who believe that Voldemort reincarnated. I know your parents should be doing the best job at the Ministry of Magic, but that's the political field. Until they sort things out there, here in the lower clergy things will be ugly and we need to prepare ourselves."

"I understand that part," Lily said. "But why just us? There are more people who would like it and who could be here. "

"Like your sweetheart?" Santana said scornfully.

"He's a good guy, Santana."

"Yeah... maybe I'm the spiteful one here, Potter," Santana grunted.

"Anyway." Albus continued before they entered into a private discussion. "The group needs to be small now for convenience and confidence."

"With all due respect, guys." Hugo raised his hand timidly. "It's just that I still don't understand Santana's presence among our family. Today she has created chaos in our choir with half a dozen sentences and now she is here as if she were our leader? What is going on? What's really going on? "

"That's true? Did you mess up the choir?" Albus whispered sideways to his friend.

"They're too easy." Santana replied without the slightest sign of guilt. "Anyway, Weasley, I know that I am the strange element in the middle of your clan. My sister would be naturally welcome because she's your girlfriend. The same goes for Malfoy. But believe me, we have a common enemy. You are natural targets because of your parents. I... I don't have a famous father, but, somehow, fate has decided to fuck me. That's why I'm here with you."

Albus and Scorpius were the only ones in the group who knew why Santana was talking about destiny. Harry took advantage of the closeness between his son and the chosen one to tell him the truth and let him know everything. It was also a way to keep a friendly eye on Santana even from a distance, since he knew that the adults would treat her as someone who was to go to the slaughterhouse at some point.

"Santana is right, we're in the same boat and, willing or not, we're going to have to learn to work together. And work hard! If you agree, stay. If not, the exit is right there." Albus looked at the small audience, who cringed and fell silent.

"I think we have a deal, Al." Santana put her hand on his friend's shoulder.

There was no training that day. Each one received a false gallon that would inform the day and hour of each meeting. That was an invention that almost everyone was familiar with, because it was Hermione Granger's invention, so Albus didn't waste much time with explanations. At the end, he showed Santana, on the marauders' map, which routes were free to the Slytherins dorms.

"I didn't buy that idea." Rachel grunted at the exit as she walked beside her sister. "Do you really believe that things will be ugly to the point where we have to practice duels? For God's sake, San, we're in the 21st century! That snake face guy is history!"

"As if the world were quiet and peaceful." Santana mocked. "Look at the Muggle world right now, Rach. Fascists are everywhere and they are no longer shy to show themselves. The hate speech is no longer hidden, it's applauded! Do you think we're immune to this? The old discussions are still there. Diplomacy is only effective to some extent. It is very difficult to ask for a radical to rationalize. We will not attack anyone, but when they come, we also can't let them just kill us just to prove a point."

"San, what do you expect to happen?"

"May the clan's parents be able to hold the mess there at the Ministry of Magic. That they can resolve this politically and diplomatically. Otherwise..."

"Otherwise?"

"I might die."

"Why?"

"Because I'm a half-blood lesbian hippogriff. They already tried to kill me that day in Hogsmeade. And they will try again."

Rachel's heart stopped for a second. Santana wasn't kidding at the time. That was when she began to realize that something very serious was happening.

...

Students who signed the Daily Prophet and other minor newspapers in the wizarding world were careful to read a small call on the cover held their breaths as they looked at some of their classmates. One group had been arrested for conspiracy and terrorist planning. Harry Potter, under the maximum name of the security and intelligence system, explains in the press conference that the Aurors is working hard to identify outbreaks of extremist groups who are planning or directly involved in illegal and terrorist activities such as attacks on the muggle community that is aware of wizarding world and that somehow participates in it.

The group was taken to Midcraker, the small prison that sheltered temporarily the defendants who couldn't wait for free trial and those who needed to be retained in favour of a more appropriate investigation. Among the retained were exactly the parents of Samuel Evans. Neville, accompanied by Schuester, went to the students whose parents were engaged to talk to them.

"Mr. Evans," Neville said gently. "Could you come with me for a moment?"

The boy nodded and stood up, because he had no other choice. He joined the small group that also included George Patton, Gilbert Milles, Jules Paxton, the Goyles and also Santana Lopez (because of her stepmother). They stayed in a room without really talking to each other. Santana was the first to be called to talk. She stepped into Minerva's office and sighed.

"This will work wonders for my reputation." Santana folded her arms and mumbled in the presence of the headmistress and Neville.

"Your presence here is a protocol, Lopez." Neville still felt uncomfortable around the girl. "Still, I wonder how you feel?"

"I'm not going to say that I'm really surprised. That bitch had all the wrong connections and tried to drag my dad to that side. At least I know he's okay."

"Yes, your father is safe, but I must warn you that there may be the possibility that, in the future, Juan may be questioned."

"Professor Longbottom, you can arrest my father, you can do as you please. He won't fail to be innocent. I know that. I feel it."

"Do you feel it?" Minerva asked. "How, Miss Lopez?"

"It's nothing mystical, if that's what you want to know. Only I know my father. He may have married the wrong woman, he may have had social ambitions, but he is not a bad person. And I'm sure he wouldn't do anything to harm me."

"Very well, Miss Lopez." Minerva gave the girl a small smile. "It's good to see you're keeping your head in the right place."

"I can go?"

"Yes you can. And please call Mr. Evans when you leave."

Santana opened the door to the headmistress's office and looked at the poor fellows who waited as if that were the worst of the punishments. In a way, it was a punishment.

"Okay, blond troll with trouty mounth. Your turn."

Samuel got up and walked toward the office's door, but not without exchanging provocative glances at the fake Slytherin. By now Santana's dislike for him was enormous. He stepped into the office, sat in the chair, and stared at the professors.

"Mr. Evans." Miranda began. "I must say that your visit here has nothing to do with investigations, although we can't prevent official requests if they happen."

"Then why am I here?" He said firmly, but without attempting to attack.

"In the first place, we're sorry about what happened to your father." Miranda continued her usual calm and diplomacy. "Secondly, we would like to know if you are well and need support."

"You can come and talk to me if you have to." Neville offered. "Or with Professor Schuester, if you like. He graduated from these muggle colleges to try to understand the minds of others."

"Actually, I took a behavioral therapy course. Well, the case, Mr. Evans, is that I'm a good listener and I'll be available if you'd like to talk about anything, about the pressure of school, about your colleagues. I can be a safe haven at this school if you need be."

"Thank you, Mr. Schuester, but I'm fine."

"Are you sure, Mr. Evans?" Neville pressed. "Your parents were arrested and we know some kids can be ruthless in this school."

"If I'm not being accused of anything, could I go?"

"Of course, after answering a question." Minerva pointed out firmly. "How do you feel about your half-blood and muggle-born mates?"

"I dated a muggle-born girl, ma'am. I have no problem with them."

"But are there problems?" Miranda insisted.

"No, ma'am. No problem at all. I mean, what's happening to my parents is really annoying. But they are good people and I'm sure this is just a misunderstanding. "

"What if it's not?"

"So maybe something very wrong is happening to the world. Can I go now?"

"Of course, Mr. Evans. On the way out, could you ask George Patton to come in? "

"Of course." Samuel left the room and nodded to his colleague.

Inside Minerva's room he discreetly massaged one of the temples. She wanted to discuss some things with Neville, but Schuester wasn't part of the group of professors within Hogwarts she could trust. She had many reservations about Samuel and felt that the whole group had failed to monitor him better. Now all they could do was literally spy on all the boy's footsteps.

...

The Slytherin team debut in the season was no good. They played against Ravenclaw and lost just at the end of the fourth quarter with a difference of 60 points on the scoreboard. No one took the Golden Snitch that game. Santana, as always, made more than half the goals for Slytherin, who had come with important changes in the formation. With the suspension of Quinn Fabray's rights, Kitty Wilde became the new seeker. She wasn't as talented and intelligent as Quinn, and on top of that she was arrogant in the extreme. Unfortunately that was what they had at their disposal.

Scorpius also barred George Patton from the starting lineup because he publicly refused to speak to Santana. He felt entitled to give authority to his own prejudice because she was gay and half-blood. He was a racist and homophobic idiot, but he was a great player. Scorpius's political decision as a captain to dismiss the player was fair, but in practice this weakened the team's attacking power. Joanna Thompson was a hard-working player who had one moment or another of brilliance.

Therefore, the expectation wasn't the best for the game against Gryffindor.

"Do you want to bet?" Lily approached Santana.

"I'm not in the mood to massage your feet, Potter."

"Already admitting defeat?"

"I know my team and I know your team. The changes made a lot of difference. There's only one way to beat you."

"Which is?"

Santana answered only with a sly grin.

"If there's a chance, then a bet would be legitimate," Lily insisted. "You know what made me curious? Your sister invited you to her choir. It's a sign that you can sing."

"Where do you want to go, Potter?"

"If I win, you'll sing in front of everyone. But if you win, I'll sing. And I guarantee it will be worth it if you win because I can't sing for real."

"That sounds interesting. Only it won't be in front of the school. We are doing this at Three Broomsticks while we had a buttery beer. The loser pays the round and sing."

"Shouldn't you avoid Hogsmeade?"

"Do you think I should avoid living a little?" Santana reached out and they both greeted each other. "Deal!"

The handshake and exchanges of looks between them lasted longer than they realized. It was as if they had entered a trance in a sense of peace that they felt whenever they were alone. Too bad it was a public place and there were dozens of others around, including Lily's current boyfriend.

"Hey!" Finn caught the attention of them who soon parted. "Lily, the game will start." He came over and put his arm around her girlfriend's shoulder to show Santana that he was the alpha male from outer space.

"I'll see you on the pitch, Potter." Santana turned her back on the couple and met with the team.

To everyone's surprise, Slytherin won: Kitty Wilde got the golden snitch with seven minutes left.


	9. Year 5 - part 3

The Three Broomsticks was full due to the rumour of the bet between Santana and Lily. Most knew something would happen at the bar, and Lily would be in the spotlight. The expectation was that a show, at least, would put "Little Potter" in a ridiculous situation. That way, they would have subject matter and jokes to do for a long time. Santana, in the privileged position in which she was, allowed herself to sit at the best table of the establishment for the occasion: next to the piano. She herself didn't know what Lily was going to sing, but Rachel had informed her that the Gryffindor prefect had asked for help from the choir. It was obvious that the little diva would never refuse a chance to appear.

"I can't believe you're going to make my sister do this," Albus commented with a small smile on his face. He was at the table along with Santana, Scorpius and Rose.

"The bet was to sing in public. The rest is with her."

Hugo stepped out the door to the kitchen and sat at the piano without looking at anyone. His shyness didn't allow him to face an audience of strangers, even though most of them were Hogwarts students.

He began to play a classic lullaby, as if he wanted to prepare the environment. When he received a signal, he began to play a single chord. Lily came in with the chorus soloing the first verse of 'With a Little Help From My Friends', Beatles style: more appropriate than the popular and lysergic Joe Cocker's version.

The first line of the song also said a lot about Lily's ability to sing: " _What would you think if I sang out of tune?_ " Despite the modest, almost verbal voice timbre, she showed that she trained a little and received some tips to be able to continue with the song of two and a half minutes. Much like the original arrangement, the choir made up of Rachel, Blaine, Marley and Kurt (that is, those who agreed to participate), only entered the verse " _Gonna try with a little help from my friends_ ".

There were a few reasons why Lily chose this song. First because she was familiar with the Beatle songs. Second because she knew Santana liked the Beatles. Third, because the song was relatively easy to sing. It was easy to have a choir arrangement and that was the perfect excuse to seek help. It was a song with humour, and it also talks about finding love. " _Would you believe in love at first time?_ ", The choir sang and Lily replied, " _Yes, I'm certain that it happens all the time_."

The modest choreography and the way Lily looked only at Santana helped with the impression that something was happening there. It wasn't just the pay of a bet between two teenagers. There was a flirtation going on both in the way Lily performed and in Santana's reactions to the lyrics of the song. " _Do you need any body? I just need someone to love._ "

Irony of fate, or not, the first decent presentation of muggle music choir was in a pub, without effects, without presepes, and with the lead of someone who couldn't even sing. " _Oh I got by with a little help from my friends_ ".

The applause was genuine. The choir more Lily bowed to thank the audience surprised to be there to see the ridiculous and end up seeing something really fun.

"I have to admit, Potter, you did it with praise." Santana greeted her privately. "You surprised me."

"Why don't you try?" Lily said with a smile. "Your sister told me that your voice is beautiful, and Hugo is good enough at the piano to accompany you."

"Another time, Potter. I won't overshadow your moment of glory."

Rachel, on the other hand, took advantage of the favourable climate to make a solo. The effect was like that of a singer at a steakhouse. While the poor girl tried to entertain, people were more concerned about eating and drinking beer. The attempt only lasted a song, since Rachel thought it outrageous that no one had paid attention to her.

Meanwhile, Lily went to her boyfriend and invited him to sit at the table with the others. They kissed briefly before they sat down, which made Santana uneasy. Her features of serene began to load. Santana was certainly jealous of Lily with the tall boy, but there was also the fact that Santana deeply disliked Finn. The antipathy was reciprocal and this made Santana not feel the slightest guilt in making fun of him in front of anyone. But she didn't want blows at that moment. She had no energy for it.

"Thanks for the beer and for the show, Potter." Santana got up and left the Three Broomsticks. It was better to leave than to put up with Finn with the girl she liked.

Many students were on the main street of the village. Most were already wearing heavy, warm clothing due to the approaching winter. It was a matter of days before the snow began to fall again. The couples walked hand in hand. Friends were in groups. The candy store was full, as usual, just like the shop for tricks and jokes.

Santana walked alone to the sports store. She saw the brand-new Nimbus 2003 in the window, which was a real whooping cough among professional players. The price was unfriendly: 1,500 galleons. It was easier to buy a new muggle car and try to charm it. The broom in the window wasn't even real. It was just a model to attract curiosity and get people in and spend some galleons on other cheaper items. If someone really had the money to buy that beauty, it would have to wait three days between the business transactions. Santana wasn't that interested in the broom at all. She was just looking at the window to disguise her loneliness. As bad as it sounded, she missed Quinn and Brittany as well.

"You shouldn't be walking alone." Albus apparated beside Santana, making the little girl startle.

"Don't do it. Please." She put her hand on her chest. "Do you scare your mother like that?"

"You shouldn't be alone," Albus reinforced.

"What are you now? My bodyguard? Did your father tell you to do this?"

"I'm your friend." Albus tried to soften the tone of his voice.

"Friends don't kill friends scaring them."

"What an exaggeration!" Albus rolled his eyes. "You're in the mood for Hog's Head?"

"No. But I want to go somewhere close there."

"Santana..." Albus tried to rationalize, already realizing what her friend was thinking of doing. "The Aurors..."

"The Aurors and your father have an agenda that keeps us in the dark. I would like to see some things with my own eyes and draw my own conclusions. If you want to come with me, fine."

Albus had no choice but to go with his friend to the street where Hog's Head was near. Instead of entering the bar, they made their way to the alley almost opposite, where was the house where Quinn had taken Santana into the trap. They circled the building looking for signs of some occupant. They peered at the windows and saw that there was apparently no one in the house. The door was still destroyed due to the consequences of Santana and Quinn's clash with the Death Eaters. They entered the room in silence and turned it all around. It was basically like Quinn and she had left.

"Finite Incantatem." Albus swung his wand over his head to turn off any trap that might be in the room. But nothing happened. Everything seemed to be abandoned.

"Homenum revelio." It was Santana's turn to evoke the spell to try to find out if anyone else was there. Nothing happened.

Santana pointed to the stairs and Albus nodded. They climbed to the second floor with wands ready, trying to be as quiet as possible. The second floor was more organized than the chaos downstairs. The smell of dust and mold was strong. It seemed that the house had not really been used in a long time. Santana checked one of the bedrooms while Albus went to the other. Everything was unoccupied, abandoned.

"The aurors have already been here, San." Albus felt comfortable speaking normally. "If they found anything, they already took it to the Department."

"I know. You can always leave something behind. A detail that seems insignificant."

"Like what?"

"I don't know."

Santana peered through the windows. The small neighbouring building was very close, and it was even possible to see the movement of the rooms in front. It was possible that there were witnesses. The view from the alley was good. This one, for example, was heading toward one of the small ranches that existed in Hogsmeade. One of them belonged to Blaise Zabini. Santana didn't know much about the manufacturer of medicinal potions, except that he fled from Hogwarts during the evacuation of the castle in the Second War, and that his relatives were Death Eaters. The story of the recluse Zabini wasn't so secret. What Santana didn't know was that the middle-aged man would greet kids from Hogwarts at his ranch. At least it was there that Samuel Evans and George Patton were going while she watched the neighbourhood through the window.

"Did you find anything?" Albus asked when he noticed her friend lingering at the window.

"I don't know ... I think it's nothing important."

"Let's get the hell out of here, San."

Santana followed Albus out of the house.

...

Quinn was on the bleachers when she saw Slytherin's new win over Hufflepuff after Kitty Wilde got the golden snitch after ten minutes after the start. The yellow team improved under Finn Hudson's captaincy, but it was still weak compared to the other Hogwarts teams. Quinn didn't care about the Hufflepuffs. What surprised her was Kitty's second flawless performance, which made her considered the best seeker and revelation of the season. The second-year girl was responsible for making Slytherin finish first in a championship where everyone bet on the Gryffindors.

The Slytherins celebrated another victory and came out singing the war song of the house while Kitty was the main honoree. Quinn stared at Santana, who flew past the bleachers. She knew her friend so well that she could see how frustrated she was. An extremely efficient seeker was good for the team, but frustrating for the chasers and beaters, who enjoys the dynamics of the game. Many fans were also frustrated because the short time Quidditch they saw in the field. There were some who even fought for the end of the catcher because they thought the player could ruin the game, especially when holding the snitch shortly after the start. One way or another, those were the current rules and Slytherin had to celebrate: victories were always victories and they were a home of winners.

That would be a year of seclusion and restraint, even though Quinn was allowed to attend classes normally. It was a punishment and a blessing at the same time. Punishment because she deserved it after betraying her best friend. Blessing because any punishment to stay inside the castle was better than going home.

"Looks like the team doesn't miss you." Quinn heard Samuel fully uniformed approaching. "Or your friends." He pointed toward Santana, who was still celebrating shyly with the rest of the team as Kitty was carried over Kanan Goyle's shoulders.

"Maybe," Quinn said nonchalantly.

"Wouldn't you like to have coffee with me?" Samuel ventured. "From lonely to lonely, we could complain a little of those idiots who abandon their friends in the first mistake. I mean, this just shows that they are not real friends."

"Finn Hudson didn't abandon you. As far as I know, you're his first man on the team. On the other hand, you have abandoned your best friend. I heard Puck is now working on a farm. Maybe he's raping cows and chickens."

"Don't talk like that about Puckerman. You don't know him. You don't know anyone because you're too preoccupied to be self-centered selfish."

"So noble of you to defend your friend." Quinn rolled her eyes and mocked the boy. "Maybe because you and he have a lot more in common."

"What do you mean?" Samuel grabbed Quinn's arm. He was angry.

"Since you can't have a girl on your own merits, you use trickery. Potions maybe? Did you make Brittany take juices from your cup before you fuck her? Is that why she can't even look at your face nowadays?"

"You don't know what you are saying, Fabray," Samuel said in a menacing tone.

"Maybe not. Maybe yes."

Quinn set the boy aside and continued her walk toward the castle. She was no longer the prefect of Slytherin. The title was withdrawn as part of the punishment, but she continued with a private dormitory, away from the rest of the house, which reinforced the isolation. She could have her meals on her own table, but she wouldn't go into the common room. For her, everything was fine. Quinn just wanted to have some peace.

While accompanying her own team from afar, she would make small nods and speak quickly with some people, such as Mike, Brittany, and Sugar Motta. But Santana avoided her. It would be a difficult rapprochement. She decided to go to the great hall. She sat down at Slytherin's table and began to read the paperback book she carried. It was a popular novel written by Demelza Robins about how the romantic girl could change a dark wizard and turn him into an honorable man in the midst of a war. Nothing was sweeter, bad written, and cheap than that best-selling novel. So? It was entertaining as hell and Quinn didn't want to read anything serious outside of the compulsory readings of the school.

"That's definitely not you." Santana surprised Quinn on Slytherin's desk. She had already kept the new Nimbus 2001 and removed the protections and gloves, but she still wearing the Quidditch uniform with the usual number 5 stamped on her t-shirt.

"It's been a while, Lopez. What are you doing here while the rest of the house is in our common room drinking smuggled beers?"

"I should drink a little too." Santana frowned and sat next to Quinn, even though she still kept some distance. "Wilde is... surprising. I hate the girl, but by taking the first game, she's shown to be more efficient than you."

"Your point is?" Quinn arched one eyebrow.

"It's such a leap in efficiency for the first horrible game she did and what I observe in the practices. She is 12 years old, moves around wrong, careless. But when she plays, is it as if she suddenly becomes a genius? I feel like there's something wrong going on."

"She cheats." Quinn picked up the cup and took a sip of coffee, as if she had just said the most trivial thing in the world.

"How?"

"Her father is a partner of my father in the Tutshill Tornados, Lopez. She knows how to use a trick to lure the snitch into a single area, narrowing down the search field."

"How?"

"Physics, Lopez. With magnetism."

"Magnets do not attract gold."

"Correct, an ordinary magnet has the action of repelling a diamagnetic material. But if you use a little muggle technology with magic, you're going to find Kitty's recipe for success... and because the Tutshill Tornados always win the matches made at our own stadium."

"Get up."

"What?" Quinn knew exactly what Santana wanted. She decided to just test her friend's patience.

"We're going for a ride. Or do I need to show the wand?"

"I know you can do things without a wand, Lopez."

"This matters?"

Quinn rolled her eyes and pretended to be annoyed at the interruption of her supposedly important reading. She got up and accompanied Santana back to the little quidditch arena at Hogwarts. The journey was done in silence. Santana avoided talking to Quinn to show how much she was still hurt and wasn't willing to forgive her so soon. Quinn, on the other hand, didn't want to risk the luck of "spoiling" the first moment she had with her best friend since the betrayal. They crossed the lawn before a light rain and entered the empty arena.

"For the location of the two catches, Kitty must have installed the unit under the Gryffindors bleachers." Quinn and Santana entered the compound underneath the bleachers, which was basically a dirty place, full of dust and loose woods, entitled to all sorts of insect and animal that liked to live in such environments.

"Go ahead and no fuss, Fabray."

"You'll never trust me again, will you?" Quinn lamented to herself more than she asked Santana.

"You're a Death Eater. What do you think?"

"Not everything is black and white. Maybe I have a good reason."

"There must be a reason and so much to throw away everything you had."

Quinn refused to look at her friend this instant because her face reflected her own shame. The only reason she had was fear: fear of being raped again by her own father's order, fear of being tortured. Nothing but fear, for she knew that the Hogwarts shelter would not last forever. She still had two years to go before reaching the age of majority and getting rid of the family's bonds. She wanted to cry, beg for forgiveness and ask for her best friend's shelter, but she was also too afraid to look weak in front of people. The truth is that Quinn started to live all the time in a breath to fall apart.

"There it is." She pointed to a strange device that looked a lot like a solar-powered sign.

"Is this how Kitty cheats? With this thing?" Santana was skeptical.

"Exactly."

Quinn pointed her wand and started the device. Suddenly, the gold chain that Quinn wore began to bend to the opposite side. Santana, on the other hand, shivered as she heard the creaking of the bleachers tugging toward the device. She pointed her wand at the device and destroyed it without thinking twice.

"This crap would cause disaster in time." Santana was nervous.

"It would be a scene and so much to see the grandstand collapsing with some Gryffindors. It seems like you really care about them. I know you care a lot about one of them."

"I care about people, Fabray. Different from you."

"We are 35,000 wizards in the UK alone. There are 65 million people if you count the Muggles. Too many people to care about, San. Do you really think you can do it?"

"And your point is?"

"You can't save everyone."

"I don't intend to save anyone."

"But that's your responsibility, right? Save the world from the darkness."

Suddenly, in an upward motion, Santana pushed Quinn into one of the pilasters and pressed the tip of her wand against her best friend's jugular.

"What do you know about it?" Santana was determined, but deep down she was terrified of what she could hear.

"That you are the one that people like my father want to destroy. The chosen one. The one that is destined to face the new lord of darkness. They know, San. They want to kill you before you reach the maturity of your powers. They want to do this because they know your side is too ethical to do the same with your opponent. That's the chance."

"Who is he?"

"They don't talk about him. But I know he's closer than you think."

Santana released Quinn and took three steps back.

"Stay away from me, Fabray!"

She turned her back on her mate and left quickly. She didn't want Quinn to see her absolutely frightened and with tears in her eyes. Quinn sighed. She wanted to be able to go back in time and do the scene again, like in the videos. The dialogue went all wrong and nothing contributed to a reconciliation she wanted so badly. Damn pride. Damn desire to want to appear superior to everything and everyone because this is the only form of defence that she knew not to show what she really felt: that she felt worse than anyone.

…

On a mail day, the brown owl that served Santana made a sweeping flight on the Slytherin table and left her a parcel. She checked the card first: it was her father's.

 _"Dear Santana,_

 _The embarrassments caused by my wife had consequences that force me to stay away from you at these holiday parties. I'm sorry my little star for seeing you so little these past few years. All I can assure you is that everything is being done to aim for your safety in the first place. Beforehand I leave here your Christmas gift and a small souvenir for your sister for her birthday._

 _I hope we can meet soon._

 _With all the love,_

 _Juan Lopez._ "

Santana closed her eyes and cursed her condition silently. Her life has been hellish since the day Quinn betrayed her, and then when Harry Potter went to Hogwarts solely to give her the bad news. She wanted to run away, to drop everything, to turn over the job to Finn Hudson, since the big boy seemed to feel like the King of Hogwarts. She felt like throwing the pack in the trash, crying.

"Won't open it?" Sugar Motta was there, ahead of Santana, eager to see what it was.

"It's for Christmas." Santana picked up the package and took it to the dormitory.

She crossed with Rachel in the communal room. The younger sister would run to swallow any food before heading to the classes. She was very nervous, because that would be the great day of the choir. It was the chance to finally be able to show that the choir was so much more than the Hogwarts joke.

"What is it?"

"I don't know," Santana said nonchalantly. "Want to see? My dad sent you a birthday present." Santana opened the outermost paper and saw that there were three smaller packages. She looked for what was addressed to Rachel. It was a green package, the smallest of them. Santana forced a smile and handed over her father's package destined for Rachel. "You don't have to open it now if you don't want to."

"All right." Rachel began to undo the package.

Rachel pulled a small box out of a small sack. Inside was a cord with a lovely pendant from a triquetra.

"It's beautiful, San! Thank your father for me."

"He's taking this shot of protection seriously."

"Why?"

"Never mind, Rach. It's really cute. Congratulations."

"What are not you telling me?" Rachel frowned.

"We have nowhere to go this Christmas. We're going to have to stay at Hogwarts."

Santana sighed, kissed Rachel on the cheek, and headed for the bedroom.

...

The students looked at Rachel, Marley, Blaine and Artie lined up, wearing mechanic overalls and a backpack that looked as if it had been modified from a fire extinguisher. Suddenly, the Hogwarts ghosts began circling them. They held the wands and "threw" at the ghosts, making an interesting light effect. The ghosts seemed to have surrendered and "slipped" into their backpacks. Hugo, instead of the usual piano, began to play the synthesizer. Artie took the guitar and made the guitar riff with the keyboard. Pollux and Ryder Lynn completed the band.

Instead of Rachel, Blaine was the one doing the ground.

 _"If there's something 'strange in your neighborhood / who you're gonna call (Ghostbusters)._ "

It was a dynamic presentation that any muggle would be excited to watch. But that caused a singular strangeness in Hogwarts students. Why would anyone want to hunt the ghosts? Somehow that sounded extremely offensive. When the performance ended in what was supposed to be an exciting light show, there was little applause and a resounding silence from most students.

"See why we hate these muggle cultural invasions?" George Patton shouted at anyone who wanted to hear. "These Muggle-borns insult our traditions, don't have the slightest concern of integrating, imposing their junk. They still wonder why many of us fight them!"

Patton's little speech elicited nods not only of the majority present at the Slytherin table, but also of many students from other houses, including Gryffindors. Even Santana agreed in part: yes, it was necessary to respect certain traditions and to hunt ghosts was offensive. On the other hand, it was just an old song that was the subject of movies. It was also good music. How bad was it to have some fun even on a politically incorrect topic for the wizarding world? The radio always played wizard songs that were integrated with muggles, as was the case of artists such as Florence Welch, Freddie Mercury, David Bowie, Thom Yorke, many of the great jazz musicians.

There was the famous case of Mary Poppins, a British witch (a Hufflepuff) who decided to join the muggle world without necessarily hiding her abilities. The Aurors had to intervene and obliterate entire families. Mary was arrested and died of sadness in Azkaban. But one of the children, Pamela, remembered the time when Mary Poppins was her nanny and wrote a series of books about it. The story turned into a film played by Julie Andrews, who was herself a Muggle born witch.

Cultural interactions were taking place. Even if the muggles don't realize it, some of the stories that are part of the collective imagery originated in the wizarding world. The culture was dynamic and this was the part that Santana and a few other colleagues understood well.

"This girl and this teacher should be expelled from our school." Patton continued to rage. "They have no right to be here."

"Shut up your piece of shit!" Santana stood up. "My sister is a witch, no matter what her background. She and all muggleborns have every right to be here at this school. Not to mention that she is a good student, who gets good grades, quite unlike you, your pure blood of shit. The choir may be infested with losing nerds, but at least they're doing something new in this school trapped in 19th century customs!"

"What morality do you have to talk about, Lopez? You shame our great house of Slytherin with this disease of yours."

"What disease?" Santana said between her teeth.

"This... homosexuality!"

"Your son of a..." Santana tried to move forward, but was held back by Scorpius.

"Stop this fight right now or I'll have to put you in detention!" Minerva appeared. "In fact the choir could have chosen a more appropriate song, but we can't help but recognize which group coordinated by Professor William Schuester has improved a lot. I would like you to applaud the efforts of your colleagues." The applause was still scarce. "Dinner can be served." Minerva ordered the house elves.

Patton exchanged glances with Samuel, who was the same as Hufflepuff alongside Finn Hudson. They exchanged a small nod. Santana, red with anger, withdrew from the hall. Went to the precise room, not bothering to stay without dinner. The last few weeks weren't being easy. It was very close to having a nervous breakdown. She sat down and tried to hold herself. She didn't want the job, she didn't want to save anyone. She also thought people didn't need to be saved. People needed to unite for the sake of coexistence and respect. But why was this so difficult?

"Santana?" Lily found her mate in a position of seclusion, as if the other wanted to become a shell.

"Go away, She Potter. Go back to your hero boyfriend and leave me alone."

Lily ignored her and crouched down in front of her colleague, putting her hands on Santana's knees.

"You were brave in defending your sister and the choir. Nobody else did it."

"And look what I got..." Santana turned her face aside and grunted.

"The respect and admiration of many people. You have no idea how many complain about the chants of these delays of tradition without ever having the courage to manifest? I am one of them. You are becoming the voice for us."

"I don't want to be anyone's voice, Lily! I just want to go to the classes, play Quidditch and get out of here in seventh grade. But... "Santana wiped her tears.

"But?"

"This... prophecy... only makes me lose. I lost my best friend, my identity, my home... even the company of my parents."

"I don't understand. Your home? Your parents?"

"Forget it." Santana continued to refuse to face Lily.

"Try!" Lily took Santana's hand. "Maybe I don't understand, but I'll listen to you."

Santana stared at Lily for the first time. Even with her vision blurred by tears, she could see all her sincerity. Her heart told her she could trust Lily with her life, but reason told her to keep her mouth shut.

"It's nothing." Santana drew back. "I'm just upset that my parents won't be able to spend the holidays with me. Rachel and I are going to have to stay at Hogwarts."

"Well..." Lily stepped back a little. She resolved not to force herself to have answers as this would scare Santana, who would close even more. "It won't be the same, but you and Rachel are welcome to spend the winter break with us. There's room for both of you to stay. Apart from James, everyone in the house likes you."

"I don't need your charity, Potter."

"It's not charity. I would really like you to spend Christmas with me. It's true. Even you're cool when you're not so worried about keeping your bully fame. My parents respect you, and I think Al would ask you out if you weren't gay. "

"Haha." Santana mocked and rolled her eyes.

"Believe it or not." Lily smiled and ran her hand through Santana's hair, placing a lock behind the girl's ear.

Santana found the movement adorable and even a little sexy. She remembered the night, at the fateful party, when they kissed for the first time. That that was the best kiss she'd ever had with anyone. No matter how stubbornly she said otherwise, the attraction to the "arrogant" Potter was undeniable. Lily, for her part, no longer denied to herself that she really liked Santana. If she had never invited her to go on a date, it was because of Quinn Fabray and then of Finn Hudson: two people who got between them just because Santana and Lily were two strong heads.

The moment was interrupted when Rachel, Albus and Hugo entered the room. They found Santana and Lily sitting on the floor facing each other, their faces slightly flushed. It was obvious to all three that they interrupted something.

"I was looking for you." Rachel went to meet her sister and colleague. "It was a good speech, San. The guys from the choir has been amazed with you and I am proud. Thanks."

"Yeah... again, because of this, I ended up fucking myself!"

Santana got up and left the room, making everyone astonished.

"What happened? Weren't we being nice to her?" Hugo frowned.

"She's just having a hard time," Albus replied. "You have to be patient."

"Really?" Lily stood up and folded her arms. "What do you know we don't know?"

"I don't know anything, Lil."

"Of course you do!" Lily pressed her brother. "And you're going to tell us exactly what's going on with Santana."

...

Christmas night at the Weasleys' house was a true party. Arthur entertained the many grandchildren he had while Molly made faces to her husband every time he added some fiction in the stories he was telling or said things that she thought inappropriate. Molly finished preparing the supper with Fleur, Audrey, Ginny and Fred II (who was studying in France to become head chef and was thinking of opening a restaurant in Diagon Alley). Harry was talking to his brothers-in-law about little nonsense (Christmas wasn't a day to talk about serious things). The cousins interacted, showing that distance and age differences weren't problem. The family celebrated Victorie Weasley-Maingueneau's pregnancy. It was a girl and she would be Arthur and Molly's first great-granddaughter.

In the midst of this family party, of course pleasant and simple, as were the Weasleys, were Rachel and Santana. The sisters were being treated very well, and their close colleagues were doing their best to keep them out of the way. It wasn't such a simple mission. As much as Hugo was doing a good job introducing his girlfriend (this was in fact their status), that party wasn't a substitute for the nice and quiet Christmas in New York. For Santana, this was the time of year she missed most of Brittany and the Pierce family.

At supper time, Arthur gave his annual address thanking the arrival of his first great-granddaughter and then punctuating some of the feats of family members, such as Roxanne's acceptance at the Wizarding University of Science in Egypt. It was a small, very selective institution, and one of the five wizarding institutions of the whole world that was characterized as a university. Lucy, Pearcy's youngest daughter, was moving to Australia, where she would work at the only Inventive Development Center in the wizarding world. There was also Fred II, who was newly hired to work on the Chudley Cannons technical team, for the Weasley family joy.

"But we need to be vigilant." Arthur continued the speech. "The signs are clear: dark times are coming. We can't let the wars of the past repeat themselves. That's why we need to do our part so that peacetime can prevail." He directed the glass toward Santana, who sighed.

Santana tried to speculate how many people knew about her alone in that family. She made the mental list: Harry and Ginny Potter, Hermione and Ronald Weasley, Albus Potter and possibly Arthur and Molly, since they are both members of the Order of the Phoenix. But the way the others treated her, she doubted they knew. Roxanne, Dominique, and Lucy, who were still studying at Hogwarts when Santana came in, looked at her suspiciously. James was very transparent about his displeasure. Rose learned to like Santana, but the chosen one had doubts whether Rose really liked her or just tolerated.

Santana ducked her head in such uncertain surroundings and ate in silence. There was no more delivery of gifts at the Weasley party because of the number of people in the family. But it began to be timidly built the tradition of Hugo go to the piano to play some song that the others accompanied singing.

"Well, you know, this year I was fortunate to have my girlfriend's company over our Christmas." He reached out to Rachel to stand beside her and they exchanged a brief kiss on the lips. "It turns out she's the most amazing singer in the world and we're going to play a piece for you."

"Before singing, I would like to thank all of you for having welcomed me and my sister. That means a lot to us. Thank you." Rachel received some applause and nodded for Hugo to start playing "The Christmas Song".

After a beautiful interpretation of traditional Muggle music, entitled to a tear in Rachel's face, the Weasleys cheered politely. Then Arthur stood next to Rachel at the piano, put her arm around her shoulders and ordered the grandson to start playing the family's traditional Christmas song, which was sung by everyone. A letter that spoke of sparkling crystals stolen by a niffler and of Santa Claus being a grimy-breathing subject. Anyway, that, like most wizard songs, had peculiar lyrics.

Back at the Potters' house in the suburbs of London, Santana apologized to the family and said she would retire to the guest room. She sat on her bachelor bed and took out the package sent by her father. She thought about opening the package and hesitated. She heard someone slam the door and pulled the package under the bed.

"You may come in."

Lily got in the room shyly, carrying a small package.

"Hi. My family is downstairs opening the Christmas gifts."

"Cool." Santana nodded.

"Yours is here."

"But..." Santana was surprised when Lily handed her the package. "Lily... didn't need to. Wow, I don't even have a gift to give you."

"It doesn't matter."

Santana gave a small smile and unwrapped the package. It was a quaffle smaller than the official one. It had the Pride of Portree star stamped on purple-tinted leather.

"Wow, Potter. Thank you! I loved it!"

"Just so you have a poor taste for teams."

"Until I respect the Harpies, but cheering for Chudley Cannons is hard!"

"It's the current runners-up of the British League."

"Luckily." Santana blinked and gave a small smile. "Thank you, Potter."

They hugged each other. What should have been a quick and gentle greeting went on longer than expected. They both felt comfortable in each other's arms and there was no denying it. Lily was the one who pulled away a little, without necessarily breaking the embrace. She stared at Santana, tucked a lock of her smooth black hair behind her ear, then gently held the other's face and pulled her to a kiss on the lips. Santana was surprised by Lily's courage and initiative, at the same time that she was loving the caress that made her limp. Much more than physical pleasure, there was the sense of peace and belonging that was unique. It was as if Lily was the only person capable of taking Santana's fears away. They broke the kiss, but they still hugged each other, enjoying the closeness and warmth, in a comfortable silence.

"Thank you," Santana whispered as she broke the silence.

"Thank you." Lily repeated, and the two exchanged a brief giggle.

"But what does that mean... to us?"

"It means I'm going to break up with Finn Hudson as soon as I meet him."

"Are you sure?"

"I can't stay with him when the person I really like is finally in my arms."

Santana nodded and pressed her forehead against Lily's forehead before kissing her again. It was good to be with someone full enough not to break up with someone else in the distance, through a cold note.

"Are you sure you don't want to come down?"

"I don't know. My father sent me a Christmas gift and I was here deciding whether or not to open it."

"Why not?"

"Because he's not here with me."

"I'm sure it's not his choice."

"I know I don't..."

Santana broke her embrace and took the package out from under the bed. She opened it, which revealed a simple wooden box with a latch. Intrigued, she shook the box, which made no sound.

"I think the present is the box itself." Santana glanced uneasily at Lily, who was also curious.

As soon as Santana opened the lock, the box opened and it was as if something began to appear in the room, startling the two girls. Quickly three dead people appeared together in one of the beds: Rachel, Shelby and Juan. Santana put her hands to her head and screamed in despair. Lily knew it was a boggart, but she herself had no reaction. Luckily the door opened and Harry entered the room. He took the lead from Santana, causing the boggart to morph into a dementor.

"Riddikulus!" He aimed his wand, causing the creature to morph into a cartoon monkey and forced him into the box, locking the boggart in the process. "What happened here?"

"It was her father's gift." Lily was astonished.

Rachel forced her way into the room, blocked by the rest of her family, and reached for her sister.

"San... San!" She shook her sister lightly, causing her to wake up. "What's it?"

"Drink some water, dear." Ginny offered.

Santana, her hands shaking, drank some water and wiped away her tears.

"Rachel, where is the gift my father gave you?"

Rachel went to her backpack and, with the help of her wand, took the pendant with the Celtic symbol of protection and handed it to her. Santana took the pendant and ran to the family yard. She threw the object to the floor and pointed her wand.

"Reducto!" When it was destroyed, the pendant let out a green smoke.

"San?" Rachel was still confused.

"The pendant was delighted," Ginny observed. "Whatever it was, and judging by the boggart, it wasn't a good thing. Glad you were not wearing it, Rachel."

"Mr. Potter..." Santana was crying. "Where is my father?"

"He's safe, Santana. I can assure. He's in Ireland. Whoever sent it, must have intercepted the order he sent."

"Mr. Potter, it's not that I don't trust your word, but I must see it with my own eyes. Can you contact my father and then leave me at a lan house?"

"LAN house?"

"I need to access a computer to talk to my mother."

"Of course!"

Harry managed to get Juan into the network of flu and let his father and daughter talk for a few minutes alone. He understood the need for only one time. Meanwhile, he took his family and Rachel, who were apprehensive.

"You think it was a jog?" Albus speculated.

"With a boggart? Hardly. There was a purpose behind it." Harry looked at the family and Rachel. "This information can never leave this house. Understood? Understood, James?" He made a point of emphasizing his eldest son.

"Sure." He nodded still uncertain. The incident only made him more convinced that Santana Lopez was a problem.

"I'm going to take the girls to try to talk to their mother and I need you guys to stay calm."

"Go, my love." Ginny took her husband's hand to convey confidence. "You know we're safe here."

Harry kissed his wife briefly and prepared to go to such a lodge to help the sisters. After all, it was Christmas day and nothing fairer than helping two young women talk to their mother.

...

Lily paced back and forth as she waited for Finn Hudson to retreat to Gringotes. She was in front of Madan Bordereau's, the meeting place and also the important announcement she had to make. She thought it would be better if Finn had something sweet in his mouth when he heard the bitter news. Lily looked sideways and saw the passing public of Diagon Alley. Few teenagers and children were there. Most of them were adult wizards hurrying to take shelter from the harsh cold of the time of year. Lily couldn't help but notice that the isolation at Hogwarts (and the protection of her parents) made her disconnect from what was happening outside the school. People seemed more tense than usual, whispering through the corners, as if danger were imminent.

"Will you freeze out here, princess?" Lily was surprised by the male voice behind her. She turned quickly and smiled at the sight of his uncle.

"Hi, Uncle Ron."

"What are you doing here alone?"

"Waiting for Finn to get some money in the bank."

"Oh, the boyfriend!" Ron couldn't help but look disgusted. It was the same with all his nieces, and especially with Rose. He didn't mind at all for being labeled as the jealous uncle. "Time isn't good for romantic things, Lil."

"I didn't come here to have a romantic talk."

"No?" Ron, as usual, took some time to process the information. "Why not?"

"Uncle Ron, this is none of your business!"

"Oh, ok. If you need anything, don't forget I'm in the front shop."

"Thanks."

Ron took his niece's hand and kissed her face the moment Finn stepped out of the seat. The boy saw the scene from afar, unable to identify the handsome middle-age guy who kissed his girlfriend. He snorted to the point of smoke coming out of his breath and walked to his girlfriend, stepping hard on the slippery floor by the thin snow on the paved cobblestone street.

"Lily?" He reached her when the guy was almost on the opposite sidewalk. "Who was that guy?"

"Uncle Ronald Weasley." She didn't even disguise her eyes. "He works in the store along with my Uncle George."

"Sometimes I forget you're also part of the Weasley family. Well, let's go in because that time is freezing my brain."

As much as Lily really thought Finn was a good guy, he was starting to annoy her. Lily didn't know, however, whether it was a sensation that came naturally to her, or whether it was already Santana's influence. She remembered a conversation she had with him during astronomy class (Gryffindors and Hufflepuffs shared this class). The class had identified a new comet and the teacher Calisto Sagan asked the students to make a short text about the name they would choose for the comet and the reason. Finn confided that he has put his own. He said he thought first of honouring Lily. Then he reconsidered, that Lily Potter was already a star on her own and wouldn't need any of it. Then he thought of himself to remind himself that he too could be special as his girlfriend. All she could think about the supposedly romantic gesture was, "What the fuck is that?" The name she suggested was Gandalf, because he was her favourite wizard of Muggle literature.

Finn analysed the menu, made the request for them, choosing vanilla cake because he remembered a day Lily said it was her favourite. Lily, meanwhile, tried to swallow the irritation (she didn't think anyone had the right to speak for her without consent). Although vanilla was indeed her favourite flavour, she didn't want to say that she only ate vanilla food. One day she might want red fruits and another try pistachio.

Lily took a deep breath and tried to relieve herself. Now, Finn Hudson had boyfriend status for just a few more minutes.

"Gee, you seem to have everything under control," Lily quipped.

"I'm trying, you know?"

"Trying what?"

"Be a leader. I'm trying to get to know my friends, find out about their needs and preferences, find common goals. "

"Because of the Quidditch team?"

"That too." Finn blinked and smiled, trying to be puzzling. "It's been a very interesting experience, you know? Be captain. For example: I learned that the girls were very sad with the all men's team last season. So I reopened the tests for them."

"Of course... how nice of you…" Lily thought that was a good point. In fact, the Hufflepuffs praised Finn's work as a captain because he was a natural motivator. Still, it could not be ignored that the team was still crap: the Hogwarts punching bag.

"Quidditch is more than a game. What we learn as a team are valuable lessons for life." Lily imagined that if Santana had been at that table with them, she would have tried to hit the kid or said some offense. It made her laugh. "Oh, do you agree?"

"Of course!" Lily was grateful to have been served with the appetizing vanilla pie. "How was your Christmas?" She tried to introduce a more palatable subject.

"It was great. My mother and Burt cooked a great banquet. Sam is there at home with his younger siblings because his father is still in jail and his mother has been spending Christmas with her husband. Sam said it's totally unfair because there's a thoroughbred chase. He said his father was involved in a cross-dressing with half-bloods, but as politics now protects half-bloods and muggle-borns, his father was arrested on charges that he belongs to a society convicted of being racist."

"Does Evans really believe that?"

"He calls it inverted racism."

"What do you think? I mean, Kurt is gay." Kurt was the first boy to become gay in years. He said it made him inspired by Santana because, despite being a cynic, his words, at least he had the courage to be what he really was.

"Both sides have valid points. Maybe there's even inverted racism, I think the Thoroughbreds have the right to make their exclusive clubs, but no one has the right to attack the other because of the origin."

"Or for being gay?" Lily forced and Finn was visibly annoyed.

"I don't know. I'm not against gays. As long as they stay on their side of the street, that's fine."

"In their side of the street?"

"You know: forcing situations that make other people uncomfortable."

"Like what? Flirt?"

"For example."

"So let's talk hypothetically, if a gay boy flirts with you, will you take offense?"

"I won't be comfortable."

"But if a girl flirts with you the same way or if you flirt with a girl the same way, will everything be all right?"

"It's different, Lily."

"How is it different? Flirting can be polite or offensive regardless of whether it's made by heterosexual or homosexual, right?"

"I don't know. I don't think so." Finn shook his head clearly confused and uncomfortable.

"Why not?"

"Because gays always want to force situations."

"And the hetero not? Sorry Finn, but I think respect is respect and that is not sexual preference."

"Wouldn't you mind being fucked by a lesbian? I don't think so, since you've already been kissed by Santana Lopez."

"What if you were kissed by a man?"

"I don't want that to happen. I would be completely uncomfortable."

"It's only fair that you feel this way. I just don't think it's fair to you to say that a straight can be more than a gay simply because of what's normative. What is not normative doesn't mean it's wrong."

"How could we stated talking about Christmas to this subject?" Finn smiled unsteadily realizing he couldn't win the argument with Lily.

"It happens." Lily turned to the pie and began to eat it in silence.

"And your Christmas? How are you dealing with Santana Lopez in your house? I mean, Rachel is a good girl, but her sister..."

"Rachel and Hugo are dating, so my cousin is going to my home a lot these days. About Santana..." Lily tried to suppress a small smile. "I can say that she is an amazing person. She's a sweet girl behind all the crap."

"There's something I can't believe."

Lily finished eating her pie in silence. She looked at Finn and saw the boy watching the confectionery move as if he enjoyed being seen. Lily shook her head. She knew she shouldn't, but she automatically compared her boyfriend to Santana. Finn really liked attention, to be understood as a popular, fine student, of good character. Unlike Santana, who called attention to what she was naturally, not what she intended to be. For Finn, the possibility of being the chosen one was an honour. For Santana it was a burden. Lily was irresistibly attracted to the girl who didn't want her job. The Gryffindor girl realized that she couldn't even go on with that date. Not when all was reason to compare Finn to Santana. It was impossible to continue when all she wanted was to go home and watch television with Santana. She didn't have to do anything else, she just wanted to stay with the chosen one.

Finn realized that his girlfriend was thinking away. He smiled at Lily and tried to hold her hand, but the girl withdrew.

"What is it?" He frowned.

"We can't do this anymore."

"What? Why?"

"Because you and I. We think in very different ways, we have different goals and different desires. Finn, I know you're a nice guy who wants to do the right thing. That's why you deserve someone who gives you the support so that you can achieve everything you dream. Except this girl is not me."

"Of course it is!" Finn said loudly, clearly surprised and even a little startled.

"No. I'm not, Finn. I mean it when I say I really like you, but we're not the ideal match for each other."

"You are wrong. Of course we are. That's what fate says." He looked around and whispered. "That's what the prophecy says. We should be together."

"What prophecy?" Lily said curiously and frightened at the same time.

"That you, the daughter of the former chosen one, would fall in love with the new chosen one. For the one who would face the new dark wizard."

"And you think you're the chosen one?"

"Professor Longbottom is training me just because of it. All the signs pointed at me and I accept my fate. That's why I work so hard: to prepare myself, because I need to be an example. I know it's hard Lily. Maybe you need time to accept, maybe you're just confused, because I was also when my teacher told me."

"Sorry..." Suddenly Lily felt nauseated. "I need to go."

Lily got up and left the confectionery, leaving behind a stunned Finn. To Lily, that was an outrage. How could her fate be defined in the words of any seer? Worst: a hobo seer for connecting her to someone who had no future with her. She crossed the street and got in her uncles shop.

"Lily?" Ron was startled to see the niece's state of confusion.

"Uncle Ron, please, can you give me a ride back home?"

Ron hugged his niece affectionately, and the next second, they were no longer in Diagon Alley. They disappeared in the small urban park at the end of the street where the Potters lived. As the place was protected with spells similar to those kept by Hogwarts, it was impossible to apparate indoors. So it was common for the family and the guests to show up in this specific point, also protected of the observation of muggles. Lily always got nauseated when she disappeared. She had been transported that way a few times and hated precisely for having to control her stomach. She took a deep breath, doubled her body, and took a deep breath again before leaving the small park used by the immediate neighbourhood for her house. Ron, worried, followed behind her like a guard.

They got in the house and found Rachel, Santana, Rose, Scorpius, Albus and Hugo sitting on the living room rug around a board game Rachel tried to explain to her colleagues. They were frightened and worried about the way Lily entered the house.

"Lil? What..." Albus got up, but Lily went right into Santana, pushing her.

"Did you know?"

"I knew what?" Santana was genuinely confused.

"Did you know about the prophecy?"

"If you talk about the prophecy that says I screwed up for being drawn on the fucking wheel of fate, yes, I know."

"Lily, follow me dear." Ron tried to control the situation.

"Did you know?" The redhead repeated more emphatically, completely ignoring her uncle.

Santana looked at Albus and then at Ron Weasley, who was the only adult at home that time. She was looking for help. What had Lily discovered? The chosen one was genuinely confused.

"Lily!" Ron grabbed the niece's arm. "Let's go to your father's office now! Al and Santana, please join us."

The four of them headed for the office. Ron charmed the place in the process so that the curious teenagers who were left out of the meeting could not hear.

"Did you all know about the prophecy?" Lily grew even more uneasy. "What is it? A conspiracy?" She glared at Santana. "You... you manipulated me all the time?"

"Did I manipulate you?" Santana frowned. "What have I dealt with you, girl? In not going around saying that I might die at the hands of a dark idiot just because I had the misfortune to be born on a specific date? By the way, who told you this? Finn Hudson?"

"I'm talking about the other prophecy!" Lily raged.

"What other prophecy?" Santana looked at Ron for answers. "As if it were not enough that my life is not ruined enough, is there still another prophecy? What is she talking about? What are you talking about?"

"Don't you know?" Lily stepped back in surprise.

"No, Potter, I don't know. What I know is that there are a bunch of people planning my death and because of that, I don't have any more freedom. That's what I know!"

"Santana." Ron took control of the situation. "You and Al could leave for a minute. I need to talk to my niece a little bit."

"No, sir... if she knows anything, I want to know too. I have that right."

"Santana!" Ron insisted with more firmness and authority. "You and Al out now! I'll talk to you guys later."

"Come, San." Albus pulled his friend. "We get our answers later."

Ron waited for the two of them to leave. Then he circled the office table and looked at the chair Harry used when he worked at home. Deciding that the conversation with Lily was approaching and delicate. Putting a table between them would not do any good. He pointed to the chair, indicating that Lily should have taken her while he sat in the chair next to her.

"Lil. What happened to your meeting with Finn Hudson? Please, it's not just your uncle who's here with you. There are much bigger things going on and I need to know."

Lily hesitated for a moment. She thought of being quiet, after all, it was embarrassing to talk about love life with adults. Especially when this adult was the funny, half-bitchy uncle who was an expert at grimacing. On the other hand, silence wouldn't provide answers.

"I broke up with Finn and he freaked out. He said that he was the chosen one and that, according to a prophecy, I should have a life with him."

"Obviously you know the prophecy and you know who we're talking about. Worse, you like the chosen one, right? We're talking about the girl who was here five minutes ago."

"Albus told us about the prophecy and that Santana is the chosen one. I couldn't believe it, but the evidence is too strong to deny. Not to mention she's always talking about how fate screwed her up without ever explaining exactly how. If my brother hadn't told me, I don't think she would ever open up. I think for fear of us acting differently with her. But today, when I was with Finn... he thinks he was the chosen one, and there is a prophecy saying that he and I should spend eternity together. Uncle, what's going on?"

"How I'd like to kill Neville right now." Ron shook his head. "Yes, the two prophecies are legitimate. But as far as I know, Santana has no idea about the prophecy that concerns you."

"Oh really?"

"Yes, really. Harry never told her that. None of us did. Even your brother doesn't know that. Santana knows she is the chosen one, a fact that she hasn't been able to accept well to this day. But about you and her? No, Lily, I'm afraid her confusion is legitimate."

"So how does Finn know?"

"Because Neville thought Finn was the chosen one and rushed a lot of things. When he realized the mistake, it was too late and we just decided to go through with the story because that would be interesting if it helped camouflage Santana. But all this proved useless. Death Eaters know who Santana is and must already be shaping the new Dark Lord as we talk."

"Who is this dark lord?"

"It wouldn't be wise to tell you. Not when we still hope that it doesn't become what the prophecy says it will become. In Santana's case, revealing everything to her was a necessity because her life is at stake. Lily, when Santana was attacked in Hogsmeade, was an attempted kidnapping. And it was Quinn Fabray who led her into the trap."

"Oh Merlin!" Lily brought her hand to her mouth in shock.

"Lil, what did you feel when Finn told you about being the mate of the chosen one?"

Lily frowned and thought for a minute. She was constantly pressing her fingertips out of nervousness and embarrassment.

"Angry. It's as if my path had already been mapped out and I didn't really have a choice."

"Good, Lil. That's exactly how your father felt for years. I believe this is how Santana feels. I don't want to defend the girl. She is not particularly nice. For me, you would stay better away from her and her problems." He took his niece's hand to give her confidence. "Finn Hudson was flattered that he was the chosen one. Santana... she cried desperately. She knows the weight she needs to carry. Because of this, she has my respect and solidarity. Now, Lil... you don't need to embrace a prophecy. There are many predictions that are changed because of a very important detail. Do you know what it is?" The girl just nodded. "Free will. We make our own fates."

Ron kissed his niece's head and gave a small, welcoming smile. He left the office, spoke quickly with the kids, and made some recommendations, especially about Lily. He told them to leave the girl alone for now, that Lily had a lot to think about.

…

"Santana?" Lily interrupted Santana and Rachel fixing the guest room. They would go back to Hogwarts the next day and want to leave everything organized so as not to give a bad impression to the hosts who received them so well. "Can I talk to you alone?"

"I'll see if anyone needs my help." Rachel nodded and left the room, leaving the two girls alone.

"You haven't even spoken to me for two days. The only logical reason that came to my mind is that you must have been uncomfortable with the prophecy and because your father went through all this. Your parents must have told you horrible stories from that time. My own father has some, and he's just an ordinary Ravenclaw who didn't even take part directly in the war. So I think if you stay with me, you're going to have to face a future war too, and honestly, I understand you for wanting to run away from me."

"Do you really think you're going to die?"

"I do."

"Don't you feel like running away?"

"All the time."

"Why don't you run away?"

"Where would I go?"

Lily sat on the opposite bed of Santana. She herself was in conflict with herself. She was thinking all the time about the conversation she had with her uncle about making her own destiny. What should she do? Let fate happen naturally or fight it? And when fate wants to send in its own heart?

"San?"

"What's it?"

"You're going through a lot and I'm going through a lot. I just broke up a relationship and I need some time alone. I want to help you, I want to be by your side, and I will fight by your side. You can always count on me."

"Only you don't want to be with me." Santana said with a sad face.

"It's not time for that."

Lily got up and left the room without looking back. Santana just lay on her stomach on the bed and held herself so she would not cry with that disappointment anymore.

...

"Power," Blaise Zabini said as she poured Samuel a glass of wine. "It's not what a wizard should want as an end, but it's the way we have to achieve our goals. Power is the key to any puzzle. Why are mudbloods in power? Why is someone like Hermione Granger being elected as the new magic minister? Why did Voldemort fail? He thought the power was to defeat a mere boy. No, Samuel, power is not being able to defeat someone. Power means being able to transform. Harry Potter took the power out of Voldermort and gave it to the half-bloods and mudbloods. Can you tell me why?"

"No sir."

"Because they are weaker, but they are many. To stay in power, weak half-breeds like Harry Potter and Mudbloods like Hermione Granger need to destroy our culture and implement theirs, Muggles. Is the same cultural war of powers that has been going on in humanity for years. There are those who dominate and those who rebel and resist not to disappear. We are the resistance right now, fighting to not disappear."

"But even though they are half-breeds and mudbloods, they are still very powerful. The greatest wizards of our recent history were half-bloods" Samuel argued.

"True," Blaise continued. "Dumbledore had everything to be the greatest wizard of all time. He had the wand of his wands, the very deathly hallow. He became a weak sentimentalist who failed. He died at the hands of a treacherous half-blood. Voldemort? He died swallowed by his own pride and incompetence. All failed at some point. Do you know why? They have built the way to have power, not to use power for a purpose greater than themselves. And you know why? Because they had a rotten part in their blood. That would never happen with pure blood. Why was Merlin the greatest wizard in history? He protect a half-blood wizard who had no idea what he really was. He made Arthur a symbol of balance and made wizards a fundamental part of building society. We, in a position of government. Merlin is celebrated for advocating for Muggle rights, when in fact it was a form of effective protection for us. Muggles, you know, they kill everything they can't understand. Why was Merlin the most successful? For there wasn't a drop of weak blood in him, and he used it to rule. That's why the wizard to rule us needs to be a pureblood like us."

"But how are we going to get mudbloods everywhere?" Samuel asked, slightly drunk with all the wine he had taken.

"Taking their power away!" Blaise raised his own wand. "Only in this way will we be able to protect ourselves not just from the threat of Muggles. With power, we can protect ourselves from the deliberations of that stupid Potter and his mudblood ally."

"How can we have that power?" Samuel asked, much more consciously than his friend.

"It's a process. It's a process that demands tests, confrontations, searches ... only the special and pure-bloods can do them. I tried, but I wasn't the chosen one and so I ended up with my ruined face. The question is: are you willing to face the process?"

Samuel nodded to the mentor.

"Before starting this journey, you need to test your resolve and face a crucial enemy to test your skills in a clash."

"Crucial enemy?" Samuel asked.

"Yes. Someone with the potential to cross our paths many, many times."

...

Kitty didn't understand. The game was in fourth time and heading towards the end and nothing of to find the golden snitch. Luckily the game was against the Hufflepuffs and the trio of chasers had already settled the match with the scoreboard 290 x 50 within 10 minutes of the end. The snitch was no longer needed. Joanna finally got a good rapport with Netunus and Santana. She started to play like a libero, letting the other two settle in the attack. With Santana's technique and ability and with Netunus' tactical discipline, the Slytherin chasers were well organized and they managed to be the first team to qualify for the final.

The referee whistled the end of the game, causing the team to celebrate the victory. Santana was one of the most enthusiastic because she knew that victory was fair. Kitty, however, couldn't understand what had happened. After all, she ran the machine minutes before the game. She cheered with the team to the entrance of the Slytherin common room and then sneaked back to the Quidditch pitch. She stepped inside the bleachers and walked toward the device under the Gryffindors bleachers. Apparently the structure was perfect, so what went wrong?

"Your little trick didn't work?"

Kitty jumped at the sound of Quinn Fabray's voice coming from behind her. She bent over quickly, straightened her chin, put her hand on her waist, and smiled cynically.

"I didn't know your jealousy had come to that, Fabray."

"Jealous?" Quinn approached the younger girl. "Please, you're only playing in my position because of your father's influence and because I was suspended this year. The truth, Kitty, is that you'll never be as good as I am. You will never have my talent. You can't stand the fact that I've never had to resort to these tricks to win, and it kills you. So to get a breath of admiration, you cheated."

"And what are you going to do, Fabray? Report the team? Report me will damage the Slytherins."

"I won't need any of this. You already lost, Wilde. That's what matters."

"Really?" Kitty didn't give up. "It's not me who has to hide the tattoo of a certain skull from the rest of the school. If you are suspended from the school's leisure activities, imagine what they will do when they discover your little ornament? That you are a truly dearth eater?"

Quinn just nodded and turned her back. Tattooing was the least of her problems. Kitty was annoyed at Quinn's petulant gesture and walked after her. She stopped halfway as she noticed Santana and Scorpius, arms crossed, witnessing the scene.

"Guys..." Kitty smiled fakely. "I discovered that Fabray played dirty just to harm me."

"Of course!" Scorpius replied with an equally false smile. "And you're out of the team!"

"No, I'm not, my dad…"

"Your dad doesn't own this team."

"You'll be sorry!" Kitty snarled. "You're a traitor." She pointed at Scorpius. "And you're just a fucking dyke half-blood," She told Santana.

They didn't bother to respond to the threat. As Kitty passed them, bumping against Santana, the pair laughed even more. There were championship finals to be played and they knew they would have to improvise someone as a seeker. Joanna would probably have to fill the paper. But so what? Santana and Scorpius left the amateur stadium and met Quinn Fabray on the way out. Scorpius greeted his colleague and continued on his way. Santana stopped in front of Quinn and faced her best friend.

"It was fun, but it doesn't mean we're even." Santana said in a low, firm tone.

"I know." Quinn was disappointed, in a way. She knew Santana would not forgive her for it, but she expected at least an opening. "I know what I did," she said resignedly.

"Good. Because I won't forget even for a second of what you are capable of, death eater. It's no use hiding your tattoo."

Being rejected by Santana hurt. Being called a death eater ached more. Unfortunately, there was nothing Quinn could do, when everything about her showed her friends that regaining confidence was still a distant reality. She wasn't sure of anything about herself. Quinn was a survivor, and as such, had the extinct one of preserving her own skin.

...

"Are you sure?" Rachel looked at the box.

"Absolute! Although I know you're going to hate the image."

"But nothing is real, right?"

Santana nodded. She straightened her posture and waited for her sister to open the box. The boggart freed himself and immediately turned into three bodies scattered on the ground. Rachel avoided looking at the image. Seeing herself dead and bloody on the floor was disturbing. It was no wonder that such an image caused her sister so much fear. Santana tried to face the image from the front, put her own fear behind the reason, swallowed the saliva and pronounced.

"Riddikulus!"

The three bodies rose at an absurd pace and began choreographing Michael Jackson's Thriller.

"What outrage!" Rachel tried not to laugh at the unusual image her sister had evoked to face her own fear.

"You missed the song."

" _Cause this is thriller, thriller night / and no one's gonna save you from the beast about strike._ " Rachel hummed.

"You should try, Rach. Take advantage that I'm focused to contain the boggart."

"I don't know, San..."

"This is not about duels and violence that you abhor. It's about being able to face your fears head-on."

Rachel hesitated. At last, she walked over to her sister, facing the boggart. The three zombies who danced Thriller disappeared and became one single being: their grandfather wielding a weapon. It hurt Santana deeply, because she knew the reason. Rachel trembled for a moment, pointed to her wand, and pronounced the spell. The weapon turned into a trombone and colourful flowers quickly covered the subject. Santana took advantage of an unspoken spell that pushed the creature back into the box, then locked it. She looked at her sister and frowned.

"Still?"

"I have nightmares with him shooting and we're dying." Rachel sighed.

"It seems like your nightmare is not that different from mine."

"I think not."

"When I think of our grandfather, I think the meaning of Lord of Darkness is ridiculous."

"Why?"

"Because no one is 100% good or bad. And not everyone who does wrong thinks are evil. Our grandfather? He thought he was doing justice when he pointed a gun at me. Because, in his mind, immigrants and people of colour are invaders or more. It's the ideology he grew up listening to. It's what has taken root in his mind. When our mother dated an English Latin guy and had a daughter of colour, it was a betrayal to our grandfather. It's stupidity on his part and a lot of intolerance. And it's also fear that everything he has learned is wrong. But does that make him a bad person? As far as we know, our grandfather is a good husband, a socially well-known person, goes to church regularly, has no criminal record, is not a drunkard, a drug addict or a smoker. And he never let our mother in the misery and was going to pay for her college until she became pregnant in England and betrayed him from a certain point of view."

"I can't believe you're defending him."

"I'm not. But thinking rationally, I have to admit that he is not a dark lord. He's just ignorant. I am not an example of virtuosity to anyone! Of all the bullying I practiced, I can't deny that I had a lot of fun. I feel anger, fear, sometimes I hate people. Still, they say that I am the chosen one from the light of an idiotic prophecy. So what sets this up? What is the point of view? What makes me better than this dark lord wanna be? All I know is he's my age and he's birthday is next to mine. He may be Finn Hudson. It could be Mike or even Quinn! Something is going to put us on opposite paths. I don't know what it is, but I know that none of these people are 100% bad."

"I know that, but San, you shouldn't be doubting yourself. In the end, regardless of the person having its convictions, the way it deals with these things tells a lot about its nature. You can have your prejudices. We all have. But you wouldn't point a gun at anyone just because it's not the colour you like, or because of the origin, the blood. But a death eater would. That's an important difference between us and them."

"But I'm going to have to kill too, Rach. According to the prophecy, I'll have to kill to live. I don't know if I can do that."

"Do you think we can defeat it otherwise?"

"I don't know."

"Do you really think Quinn will be the lady of darkness? Because it would be too cliché this story of two best friends who become mortal enemies!"

Santana smiled and shook her head. Rachel had a good point. But deep down, she wished it was all speculation. It would be a great shit to live such a cliché.

...

For two weeks during the year, Hogwarts' main hall was transformed into an assessment room conducted by the Ministry of Magic for the fifth and seventh grade students. Fifth grade students would take the theoretical tests in the morning and practice tests in other places of the castle in the afternoon. O.W.L was the most feared test because it determined whether or not the student would be allowed to continue or not to pursue a discipline. If the student didn't pass in a given discipline, it could ruin a future career.

Santana didn't even think about having a career when she sat in the chair where she was assigned. She just wanted to end this nightmare. It was different, for example, from how Brittany faced the examination: the girl was excited. Mike was also calm and confident. Quinn thought she had an obligation to do well, which was a similar thought to Lily's. Boys like Finn, Netunus, and the Goyle twins just wished a good grade. Others, like Samuel Evans, on the other hand, no longer felt the slightest sense of being in a school or because they thought to quit, or because they thought of pursuing other careers, such as sports, which didn't depend on academic skills. In Samuel's case, making O.W.L was important because it was the minimum needed to continue practicing magic and not be bothered by the Ministry of Magic if he left Hogwarts.

All these characters settled in their respective places while the examiners coming directly from the Ministry of Magic authorized the beginning of the last day of proof: transfiguration. It was a difficult discipline that few students really mastered. Santana was one of those students, just like Lily, Quinn and also Samuel. They all went exceptionally well on the previous day's spell cast. Santana knew that she also did very well in Defence Against Dark Arts, Portions and Muggle Studies. On the other hand, she had problems in Runes, Astronomy, Arithmancy and Divination. She was ordinary in the subjects of Herbology, Tract of Magical Creatures and History of Magic. Whether or not to go into these subjects would be a question of how teachers would understand the answers.

Gradually, the students were handing out the exams and leaving the premises. By coincidence, Santana and Lily finished the test at the same time and raised their hands in sign that the teachers could collect. Quinn was still in the room. She was always one of the last to deliver because she was a perfectionist and liked to review all the questions to be sure.

"How was it?" Santana asked Lily, still shyly.

After the rejection in the winter break, they barely talked in the school. The contact they had was basically restricted to the secret drills and classes they did together. For Santana, the situation was an embarrassment because she wanted to stay close to the girl without knowing the proper distance. For Lily, she didn't want to "fall into temptation."

"I don't know. I did my best."

Santana nodded. It was Lily's standard speech.

"I'll stop by the kitchen for lunch. Want to come together?"

Lily looked around to see if there was any excuse not to follow Santana. As she found no argument that wasn't at all stupid, and she was hungry, she went on with her colleague. She thought it strange to walk beside Santana and not to hold her hand, as she wanted to do. Or remember the feelings of comfort and pleasure in being in Santana's arms (and lips). Lily avoided Santana because she wanted to prove to herself and to the world that she was the owner of her own destiny. She was also baffled because Santana still did not know anything. Worse: the chosen one didn't even show signs of being interested in someone else. It was as if Santana was being patient to wait for Lily.

"We still have to play the Quidditch final this year." Santana said almost casually.

The Gryffindors defeated the Ravenclaws in a disputed semifinal. The Ravenclaws were scoring more goals, but Rose caught the snitch early in the fourth quarter, making the red team win only by 10 points.

"What are we going to bet this time?" Lily gave a small smile to what had already become a tradition.

"If my team wins, I want you to be my company for a picnic."

"Wait a second? If you win, will you want to take me to a picnic?" Lily frowned. "No humiliation? No temporary tattoos with cretin messages? No foot massages?"

"If you want to tattoo my forehead if you win, fine. But I want to take you for a picnic by the lake. Nothing but music, chocolate cake, juice and good conversation. There doesn't need to be anything else, Potter."

"Deal. But if my team wins, I want you to sing for me in public."

"God, I'm not a good singer like Rachel made you believe. It's just that my mother taught me how to sing with technique. It's just that: I can sing with technique."

"That's what we'll see."

...

Santana won the bet. In a tough game, worthy of a final, Slytherin was able to beat Gryffindor by a difference of 30 points on the regular time scoreboard. If Joanna didn't have much talent as a seeker, at least she'd messed up Rose the way she could. They ended up fighting at the end of the third time and were expelled from the game, being necessary to replace them. The supplant seekers of both teams were improvised chasers and failed to fetch the snitch at regular time. That's why the show was centered around the core of the field.

Lily and Bail were giving their all, just like Santana and Netunus. The teams played with tied scores for three times until Ezra got a bullet to take Lion Bates out of the game. Without a strong libero, Santana and Netunus had more space to attack and decide the game. The last goal was marked by Netunus, who celebrated as never before as he had few opportunities.

The next day, Sunday, two weeks before school was over, it was sunny and the temperature was mild.

"Hey Simons!" Santana walked into the busy kitchen where the elves were preparing meals under the command of Mrs. Bluestorm, the head chef and nutritionist at Hogwarts. "My order is ready?" She said sneakily, since it was forbidden for students to order in the kitchen for any activity that was not programmed by the school.

"Santana girl, all set." He showed in the small picnic basket to the worldly eyes, but inside there was a banquet. "I've prepared everything you asked me to do."

"Thank you, nose." Santana handed a galleon to the elf. It was also expressly forbidden for elves to receive money from the students, but Santana enjoyed captivating Simons with small gifts. After all, this was the elf who accompanied her during all the punishments she faced at school and they became friends.

While most of the students were going to Hogsmeade and others were entertaining in games of Quidditch recreation, Santana met with Lily at the exit of the castle. Each on their respective broom, they flew to the shore of the lake that Santana considered ideal to have a picnic: with trees around that would provide shade, near the water and with a privileged view of the castle.

"It's a beautiful view!" Lily commented as Santana spread the towel on the small strip of sand that was nearby. "I always enjoyed seeing the castle from this angle. So imposing! You can't see all the mess happening inside him."

"You can't even hear the constant zum zum!" Santana took the chocolate cake she loved and enjoyed the delicious scent, mixed with the humid smell of the forest. "I love silence. I love this silence!"

"Why?" Lily began to help her pack the picnic.

"Because it's weird. Either you are in a noisy environment or you are in an almost oppressive silence, as it's inside Hogwarts at night. You are rarely in a quiet, peaceful environment."

"Not that quiet." Lily pointed to the birds singing nearby. There was also the clatter of lake water slamming against the rocks on the shore.

"I consider this kind of noise a privilege."

"You're not wrong."

Lily closed her eyes when she felt a ray of sunshine on her face. She took a deep breath and felt the tranquility of the moment. She knew she was being watched and admired by her colleague, which didn't bother her at all. Quite the opposite. Santana finished packing the picnic and then took a little time to admire Lily's beauty. The timing was perfect. So much so that she wanted to break up by breaking the silence and beautiful position of the other, sitting in an Indian position, with her arms behind her body, her face turned to the sun, the small smile on her lips, her red hair falling behind her shoulders .

"Do you want some food?"

Lily left the little trance and stared at the small banquet.

"This food is enough for about ten people!"

"Simons exaggerated in quantity, but everything is very good. We got chocolate cake, red fruit tortilla, iced tea, chicken chips and this cheese cakes you like." That made Santana frown. "I never understood why you because this thing. It doesn't taste anything."

"My grandmother likes to make that recipe" Lily explained as she picked up a cheese cake. "I was literate at home with my cousins for my grandmother. In the late afternoon, my grandmother made these cheese cakes and served with tea. It was the last thing I did before my mother came after work. This is the flavour of childhood."

"The flavour of childhood I have is more for frying." Santana frowned.

"How?"

"I was literate in a muggle public school because my mother asked my dad to. Brittany and I would go together every day to the classes. As my father was a little absent and then came my stepmother... well, I lived in that house and with that family. Aunt Whitney would drop us off at the door of the school and we would spend the day among the muggle kids. The cafeteria smelled of frying. It was already impregnated, you know? They served fish chips once a week and that was the best dish."

"Do you miss it?"

"The smell of the frying? Hell, no!"

"I'm talking about Brittany. You were like nails and flesh in the early years. She was your first girlfriend. She was certainly one of the most important people in your life."

"Truth."

"Do you think there's any chance you'll have the same connection again... someday?"

"I don't know. Probably not." Santana answered with conviction that surprised Lily. " Quinn has changed our dynamics a lot. I think I started to distance myself from Brittany when Quinn came into our lives. We've gone a long way this past year at school and she's dating Mike now. Which I think is cool. At least it's more honest than when she dated that mediocre Evans."

"And Quinn?"

"Quinn is complicate." Santana turned her face away. She didn't want Lily to see the pain she felt every time Quinn's name was mentioned.

"You really loved her."

"Yes I did. She was my best friend. Brittany too. But Quinn and I had a different connection and complicity. Quinn and I understand each other just by looking." Lily turned her face in jealousy and didn't want Santana to decode what she was feeling. "Kissing Quinn was good and weird at the same time."

"Weird?" Lily could not resist curiosity.

"Weird because it was like I was kissing my sister." It was Lily's turn to turn her face away so Santana couldn't see the blush on her face. "Not to mention that I ended up dating Quinn because you were with the giant."

"I just stayed with Finn because I thought you and Quinn were together. I didn't want to look like a pathetic idiot. "

"Funny. That's exactly what Quinn told me when she first kissed me."

Santana shook her head. She took the knife and sliced the chocolate cake. She was desperate to change the subject.

"Want a piece?"

"I don't really like chocolate cake."

"It's dark chocolate."

"Even worse..."

"Excuse me."

"I accept the red fruit pie."

Santana served them both and ate slowly enjoying the view of the lake. Suddenly, they saw a winged creature approaching. It was huge, imposing, and majestic. Santana was apprehensive when she saw the hippogriff grate in the water before landing on land close to where they were. She got up and kept an eye on the creature. Obviously she had already seen a hippogriff before, on the farm that she once visited in the French countryside. But it was increasingly rare to find such an animal flying freely around.

"Caution. This is Junior," Lily warned.

"Junior?"

"He is Bicuço's son. The old Hippogriff that was Hagrid's and then Sirius Black. He lives on Aunt Luna's ranch here in northern Scotland. From time to time he appears to visit Hagrid. Never saw it?"

"Of course I've seen a hippogriff, but never like that, so close." Santana didn't take her eyes off the creature. It was as if she were hypnotized by it.

"Have you flown in a hippogriff?"

"No."

"Your patronus is a hippogriff and you never flew in one?" Lily smiled. "Looks like it's your lucky day, Lopez. Come here." Lily took Santana's hand and walked carefully to the creature.

"This is a class that Hagrid never cared to give." Santana was anxious about the sudden encounter.

"My father said that after an accident between Bicuço and Draco Malfoy, it was forbidden to handle this type of animal at Hogwarts. Only magiziology students, researchers and authorized breeders can deal with this type of animal."

"Like your Aunt Scamander?"

"She's a great magizoolonger."

"I know. My biggest laugh of the day is when I read Rita Skeeter talking about Luna Scamander. It's more fun when she scolds Scamander than when she says ironic things about your family."

"Don't mention Rita Skeeter near me!" Lily pushed Santana gently so she would stay a little ahead. "He knows me, but not you. Then show respect and humility. Do not look him in the eye and bow."

Santana took a deep breath. She was nervous about meeting the creature who represented the patrons for the first time in their lives. She stepped forward, always careful not to look away from the hippogriff. Her heart was racing and at the same time she felt a unique magnetism with the animal. She bowed and waited. Santana gave a small smile when Junior repeated the gesture.

"He accepted you," Lily instructed. "Come in slowly and caress the feathers, but never touch the beak. That can hurt his pride."

Slowly, Santana approached the creature, lifted her left arm and stroked the creature's face. It was like electricity. Santana felt the connection was immediate at the first touch. Soon she lost her shyness and ran her hand along the feathers of his neck, causing the creature to turn its head in approval of the caress.

"He's beautiful!" Santana smiled.

"Yes. I think he likes you."

"Yeah."

"Do you want to fly?" Santana looked at Lily as if she had lost her mind. "Really. Ride on him. Just don't pull the feathers."

"Come with me?"

"No. This is between you and Junior."

Santana mounted the hippogriff and was surprised that the creature accepted her better than expected. Junior ran, opened the wings, and the next moment Santana was flying around Hogwarts. It was a very different feeling of flying on a broom: it was better and more exciting. Santana felt the flapping of his wings, the warmth of the hippogriff's body. It was as if they were one being. It was freedom. Pure freedom swarming in her chest. She could never know that at one point, when she felt stable enough, she repeated the gesture that Harry Potter would have made when flying with Bicuço years before: she opened her arms and shouted with joy.

When Junior landed near the original location, Santana came down from his wrench. She walked toward Lily, who was waiting for her on the picnic. The redhead was even startled by how resolutely Santana was walking toward her. When she realized it, Santana was already in front of her, holding her face and pulling her to a passionate kiss on the lips. At that moment, Lily didn't even remember Uncle Ron's words about her making her own destiny. She wanted fate to explode. Let the prophecy go to the sack. All she wanted was to kiss Santana Lopez, and she would be able to do it for eternity, such was the connection and the passion she felt for the chosen one. To Lily's good fortune, Santana felt exactly the same.

"The ride was great, by the way." Lily smiled as they broke the kiss.

"The best." Santana kissed Lily again, this time with calm and appreciation.

They didn't know how long they had been together exchanging caresses that had been dammed for so long. They ended up lying on the towel, watching the gentle shaking of the treetops. The rays of the sun that entered the green blanket also seemed to dance on the points that formed the ground. Junior was gone: he had flown over the lake and been satisfied with the fish he had been able to swallow. Everything was peaceful. Santana murmured a song as she kept her eyes closed. With so much music on her mind, she didn't notice that she even turned on the radio.

"What song is that?" Lily asked, turning to the now-girlfriend.

"Wonderwall."

"I don't know this one. Sing to me."

Santana closed her eyes and decided to follow the stretch that was in her mind. Slowly and softly, she began to sing to Lily.

" _And all the roads we have to walk are winding/ and all the lights that lead us there are blinding/ there are many things that I would like to say to you/ but i don't know how/ Cause maybe/ you're gonna be the one that saves me/ and after all/ you're my wondewall._ "

Lily listened intently to the lyrics as Santana continued to sing about the character who protected her. She was singing to her girlfriend. From someone who had a bitter fate, but that Lily was her shelter. While Santana was with Lily, everything would be all right.

"You said you didn't know how to sing." Lily was amazed at Santana's slightly hoarse, full-soul voice.

"I'm not a singer."

"Which is not to say that it's not extraordinary. This is unfair, you know?"

"What?"

"You." Seeing the confusion on her girlfriend's face. Lily kissed her briefly and explained. "You're beautiful, powerful, a great chaser and still know how to sing? I hate you!"

"If you consider that the line of those who hate me is much greater than that of the people who love me..."

"You bet you're really hated, Lopez!"

The girls were startled to hear a third male voice. They jumped up and saw an angry Finn Hudson pointing his wand at them. Santana pulled her own wand from the pocket of her jeans.

"What are you doing here, Hudson?"

"Saving the girl I like from your claws."

"Finn..." Lily took a step forward, staying ahead of Santana. "Whatever's going on in your head, it's wrong, okay? Why don't you lower your wand so we can talk?"

"Can't you see she's seducing you with some spell?" Finn insisted. "Lily, she's the reincarnation of you-know-who. You must believe me."

"What an idiot," Santana murmured before resuming her lead, pulling Lily back. "I would love to be the reincarnation of Voldemort, Hudson. So I'd send my death eaters to get rid of an imbecile like you while I was at peace with my girlfriend."

"Girlfriend?" Finn said as if disgusted with the word. "Lily... the prophecy I told you..."

"Finn..." Lily grabbed Santana's free hand and kissed her cheek. "About this, everybody knows you were wrong. It's not you."

"It's not possible. You must be under the influence of a love portion!"

Santana rolled her eyes and lowered her wand. She was annoyed by the chatter of that conversation that made no sense to her.

"Really, Hudson? Since you ruined our picnic, why not be satisfied and let us go back to the damn castle? I'm tired of it!"

Santana crouched down to pick up the food, but was struck by an attack that made her sway and tip to the side.

"Don't do this again, Finn." It was Lily's turn to point her wand at him.

"I don't want to fight with you, Lily."

"It's Lilian Potter for you!" She snapped.

"Petrificus totalus." Finn hit Lily, paralyzing her.

Santana took the wand again and pointed it at Finn. It was possible to see his jaw tense, his eyes narrow, angry.

"How dare you?"

"This is between you and me, Lopez."

Santana looked at Lily paralyzed and then at her opponent. At least there was something good about Lily being out of the fight: she wouldn't hurt herself and Santana would feel freer against her opponent.

"Stupefy!" Finn conjured up, taking advantage of the moment of distraction. Santana had the reflex to defend him, but she wore her hand instead of the wand, which made her feel a lot of pain. Still, the gesture of power impressed Finn. He didn't seem to believe it. "Stupefy!" He repeated only to Santana to repeat the gesture, despite the pain, because that left the opponent intimidated.

"So you're the chosen one?" Santana teased as she walked away from Lily, so that an attack wouldn't bounce off her. Besides, her right arm was hurting a lot, but she didn't want the opponent to notice.

"And you're the reincarnation of you-know-who." Finn attacked, but she defended him with her wand.

"Voldemort!" Santana shouted defiantly. "If you will face it, be able to say the name! Voldemort!"

"Shut up! Alarte Ascendare!"

Finn managed to reach Santana, who was hurled and slammed hard against a tree, further injuring her right forearm in the process. There was no time for her to recover, and soon she had to block another attack.

"Protego" she voiced. "Confundus."

Finn looked out of the air for a moment, making attacks in other directions, which allowed Santana to get up and run behind a wide tree. She checked quickly at her arm. She had lost strength and couldn't move it, but it didn't look like it had broken. There was also no sign of blood on her sleeve, so she thought she could recover quickly.

"You coward! Face me!" Finn raged as he searched for her, since the effect of the spell was short-lived.

Santana tried to act quickly. Without even appearing, she visualized the opponent and pointed.

"Expelliarmus." Finn's wand flew from his hands. Santana stepped out from behind the tree and prepared to end the madness. "Fulgari."

Lightning struck the tip of her wand and landed directly on Finn's wrists and ankles, making the effect of a rope holding him.

"You'll be sorry!" Finn threatened.

"Sorry? Hudson, listen to yourself! You attacked me and attacked Lily because you're a jealous jerk. There's no love portion, okay? Lily and I like each other and that's it. And we've been fond of it for some time. If you don't want to accept it, you can flake it. I don't care."

"Is not true! You seduced her, as you did Brittany! "

"Because it's extremely illogical for a cool girl like her to get involved with the dyke here, eh?" Santana sighed and shook her head as she walked toward Lily, followed closely by an angry Finn. She took his wand in the process and put it away. "If you are the chosen one, you should learn that certain struggles aren't worth the energy. You should focus on learning to control your prejudices and being more tolerant, rather than being offended by the happiness of others. You should fight misogynists and fascists, not be one of them."

"You? You giving me moral lesson? Like a dumb hound?"

"Yeah, Hudson, whatever." Santana went to the fallen girlfriend without caring about her opponent. "Finite."

Lily first began to move her arms and then the rest of her body. She complained because her body was very sore due to the intention of fighting the whole time against the effect of paralysis of the spell. Lily was exhausted, as if she had fought many rounds in a ring. Santana reached out and helped her up.

"Thank you." Lily said her girlfriend and then glared at a defeated Hudson. She walked up to him and Santana could swear that the sound of Lily's hand clashing on Finn's face could be heard even in the castle. "Idiot, stupid! The next time you call her a dyke, you're going to lose your balls."

"Lily..." Finn tried to explain himself. "Don't you see that this is a trap. Santana's still with Quinn. Both are death eaters."

"Give the wand back to the idiot." Lily was really furious. "Our dating is ruined indeed."

Santana nodded and untied the boy. She hesitated, however, to return the magical instrument.

"If you try any trick, I'll knock you out for a week." Santana threatened. "Let's go, Lily?" She finished picking up the picnic. She felt a lot of pain when she tried to move her arm, something that Lily and Finn noticed. She mumbled when she saw that the chocolate cake was shattered.

"Let me do this, San." Lily helped her collect the rest of the things. "What happened to your arm?" She said softly, just for Santana to hear.

"This is nothing serious."

The afternoon was so busy that only then he noticed that the sun was setting. It was a beautiful sight to see the main star coming down from behind the castle. The downside was that it was dark quickly on that bank of the lake.

"I won't regret that the chocolate cake is ruined." Lily gave Santana a small smile to try to ease the tense mood.

"Where'd I get my head on liking a girl who doesn't like chocolate?" Santana rolled her eyes in a deliberately dramatic gesture, earning a kiss on Lily's cheek.

"Is it my impression or are there people flying here?" Finn said almost casually.

"It must be your soft core looking at things." Santana took her broom. Her mood was bad.

"No, San... he's right," Lily warned.

They saw five people approaching on brooms. The dim light no longer allowed them to see who they were. One of the flying men gestured and a green light crashed into the ground immediately beside Santana, causing an explosion.

"What the shi-" Lily didn't have time to complete the sentence because more attacks happened. "Run!" She shouted.

They ran into the forest to protect themselves from the attacks. They were like small bombs that made a small part of the ground explode, throwing debris everywhere. A stronger explosion hit Lily. Finn, who was a little behind her, was the first to notice and ran to help her. Meanwhile, Santana tried to counterattack. She managed to knock down one of the attackers and was positioning herself to knock down another.

"Lopez!"

Santana looked back and saw Finn holding Lily. Her heart raced with the possibility that her girlfriend was injured. She drew back to the two and conjured a fog as soon as she reached them.

"What happened?" She said.

"I twisted my foot in one of the explosions," Lily explained. "It's not a big deal."

"Ok...okay..." Santana grabbed her girlfriend's face and kissed her briefly. Then she concentrated. "Expecto Patronum." Finn witnessed for the first time a flashy hippogriff flying.

"What are you doing?" Finn caught her by the collar of her shirt. "They're not dementors!"

"I'm calling the cavalry, imbecile. There are five of them against two and a half of us! Now help my girlfriend while I go ahead."

Finn rolled his eyes. Obviously he was the half person. They walked carefully through the fog. Santana was always a step or two ahead, her wand raised. It was hard to move in the dark and into a fog. She saw attack lights coming in two directions. It was a sign that the attackers now hunt them on the floor. Santana decided that was a good sign. She held Finn by the sleeve of his sweater and directed him to the other side until they found a set of rocks. They hid behind them. They were in complete silence as they kept giggling and taunting from the attackers.

"So this is the chosen one? A coward? Why don't you face us?" One of the voices said.

"Come on, Lopez. Show how you're really special." Said another.

"Come on, dude! If you surrender, I can show you something that will make you change teams end like only dicks."

As Santana tried to gauge the distance and direction of the voices, Finn was confused. Why were the others after Santana and not him? Wasn't he the chosen one? It was what Professor Longbottom said and Finn could trust life in his favourite teacher. But there were five death eaters going after Santana, calling her the chosen one. And there was Lily and the prophecy that said the daughter of the former chosen one would be the companion of the new one. Lily wasn't in love with him: she loved Santana and vice-versa. Those pieces were easy to join even for a slow-thinking fellow, as was Finn Hudson's case. Suddenly someone lost his temper and conjured up a strong wind that dispelled the magic fog. This made a death eater appear only three meters from them. Santana didn't think twice and attacked him from behind without vocalizing. With Finn's help the two went to death eater. Finn removed the mask from the subject. It was Priscila Lestrange.

"Bitch," Santana murmured. Then she pulled Finn by the shirt and spoke to him whispering in his ear. "If you really like Lily, you're going to get her out of here and fly with her at the first opportunity."

"What about you?"

"I'll take care of the rest of them."

"But you're hurt."

"Thanks to you, you idiot. Now do what I say."

Santana sneaked away, taking advantage of the darkness and the fact that she was wearing dark clothes. Finn had Lily climb up onto his back and tried to run to the edge of the lake without any subtlety. Santana saw another death eater running towards them and needed to do something.

"Stupefy!" She said as loudly as she could.

Although she could conjure the attack without vocalizing him, her goal was to reveal her position and attract the attention of others to her. The attack was defended, but its greater objective was fulfilled since it saw that Finn continued going on, carrying Lily. Two death eaters appeared to face her. She defended one of the attacks, but she became unbalanced in the process, needing to trim against a tree not to fall. Her injured arm compromised her whole balance and strength. That made her hit by a blow. She fell with her back to the floor and lost her breath. When she came back to herself, the death eaters were in her field of vision, one of them stepping on her left wrist, preventing her from handling the wand.

"If you're really the chosen one, I'm not impressed. Last words, Lopez?"

Santana pointed the finger of her shaken right hand.

"What is it?" He said mockingly.

"Opportunus."

Santana didn't yet have complete control over simple spells with her bare hands. What about the complexes, difficult to do even with the help of the wand? It wouldn't be in that physical state that she would succeed. All she did was a shy bluish smoke coming off the tip of her finger and causing her even more discomfort, if at all possible.

"Stupefy!" The second death eater conjured, but not against her: it was against his own companion who was stepping on Santana's wrist.

Death eater is out of action. In Santana's mind, she would like to be like a ninja. As in the Batman's films, in which he recovers spectacularly. But all she did was stay on the floor, too sore to move with agility. The death eater, to her surprise, handed her the wand.

"I won't attack you," it said and helped Santana to her feet.

Santana recognized the voice of Quinn Fabray. Without ceremony, she went to death eater and took off her mask, revealing the face of her former best friend.

"You surprise me more and more, Fabray."

"I'd love to discuss this with you, but we don't have time. The other two are after Hudson and Potter. Their intentions are not good."

"Who are they?" Santana was panting, her right arm so sore that she couldn't move it.

"Some people wear masks for death eaters encounters, but I'm pretty sure Patton is one of them. The other one, I'm not sure, but looks like Evans."

Quinn grabbed Santana, who ducked and pointed the wand at her old friend.

"You're going to have to trust me. If you want to save them, you'll have to accept my help."

Santana allowed herself to be "trapped" by Quinn, who put on the mask and laid the wand on the neck of the chosen one. They began to walk to the edge of the lake. They walked with some difficulty because of the darkness and because Santana was stumbling on the smallest obstacles. When they reached the destination, they found Lily and Finn on their knees on the stony ground.

"Look who came to join the party." Santana recognized Patton's voice. "Our main guest is here. Now your girl and the shit captain can testify the chosen one going to the ground."

"Are you going to you piss me off with boring speeches?" Santana challenged.

"Get her on her knees!" Patton ordered and Quinn forced Santana to her knees. "I promise, you disgusting dyke, you will suffer a little bit."

"Go to hell."

Santana got up and attacked Patton with a precise blow while Quinn attacked the second death eater. They both had a balanced fight. Santana was the most powerful, but she was wounded, which diminished her strength and precision. Quinn had no experience with duels, but she was holding tight. Patton talked a lot, but he was clumsy. The other was very good and it was the one who was ahead in that scenario. He managed to knock Quinn down, who collapsed close to where Finn and Lily were. Santana was left. She stood between her friends and the two opponents.

"Look," the second said in a metallic voice. "The big moment is finally going to happen. The chosen one will fall before she could even begin to fulfill her destiny."

"Have somebody ever said that your voice is ridiculous with this effect. Since this is my end, why not take off the mask? I have a right to know who's going to kill me."

"Will that make any difference, mudblood?"

"No. It's just that looking at an ugly mask makes me angrier."

Santana wouldn't normally talk to the bad guy. In case, she found it necessary to try to catch her breath and catch her wand. It was also a way of disguising the fact that she was shaking. Her body burned because of the amount of duels she had to do in such a short time. She also hoped the cavalry would understand the message and arrive in time for her to do nothing more. It might seem unworthy, but she was begging to be rescued at that time. She saw the second death eater breathing deeper and deeper, as if preparing to say the greatest of unforgivable curses.

"Crucio!" The second conjured.

The unforgivable curse struck Santana full, sending her to the ground. The pain was terrible, as the teachers used to say. There was nothing to exemplify without going through the experience. For Santana, the vision was blurred through immense pain. The control of the body was lost, every muscle twisted at angles that it shouldn't, her nerves throbbing. She couldn't even hear her own cry. When the crunches were over, she couldn't move. She was out of action. She was going to die. She was sure she was going to die. The death eaters seemed to have fun. They were willing to torture her in front of her friends before killing her.

Then the cavalry appeared.

Albus, Rose, Hugo, Rachel and Scorpius came flying and attacking. The death eaters felt that this fight should be for later and ran into the forest dodging the attacks. Rose was the first to reach her friends.

"Are you okay?" She noticed that Lily and Finn didn't move and couldn't vocalize. Only then she did understand that they were paralyzed against their will. As soon as Rose released them, Lily tried to reach Santana as quickly as possible, even with her compromised foot.

"Hey! Are you all right?" Lily knelt in front of her fallen girlfriend.

"No..." Santana replied in a weak voice.

"San, you're going to fly me to the infirmary." Rachel tried to stand firm and rational. But the truth is that seeing her sister hurt and fallen on the stony ground on the shores of the lake wasn't easy. Rachel didn't want to sound dramatic, but that was the prelude to a war.

"That's too cliché," Rose said as she took off the disarmed death eater mask next to Santana. "Obviously Fabray is involved as a former jealous girlfriend."

"It's not true. She saved me in the woods." Santana said still in a weak voice.

"We'll figure it out later," Rachel said impatiently, wanting to get out of there.

She conjured a rope to hold her sister against her own body and climbed up on the broom, doing one of the things she took the most time to get used to: flying.

...

Samuel and George Patton went to Blaise Zabini ranch. They were arguing.

"You fool. I could end it there, easily. How could you trouble me?" Patton shoved Samuel.

"I wanted to test her limit. I wanted to see her suffering. I wanted to Quinn see her lover in pain, hopeless, weak."

"But there was an opportunity. We could have ended up with their chosen one half-blood and not worry about the future." Patton shouted.

"Oh, shut up. You never killed in life and you're just fucking around."

"You're a weak asshole! No wonder girls like Fabray despise you so much. "

"Avada Kedrava!" Samuel conjured.

A green light came out of the end of his wand, hitting his friend's foot in full. George Patton's body fell hard on the floor. Samuel couldn't believe what he had just done. It wasn't enough to say Avada Kedavra for the unforgivable curse works: one had to really want in all its depths that the death of another happened. That is why the unforgivable curse used to fail for some people, but never for those who had the darkness within. When he realized what he had done, Samuel was just there, watching a dead body without the slightest remorse. Blaise Zabini left the house. He found George dead and Samuel sitting on the dirt floor.

"I'm sorry..."

"Do not apologize, boy. Just in between we're going to have to leave right now."

"Where?"

"For the beginning of your journey. You're finally ready to go. "

...

The Hogwarts ward was shaken that morning. Lily had her right foot plastered and needed to stay with it for a few weeks. It was found that Santana fractured the ulna bone of the right forearm during the duel against Finn. That's why she felt so much pain and even lost the strength in her arm. Padma Patil immobilized Santana's arm and left her to recover from the effects of the cruciatus. Quinn was also soaking up some mild bruises and injuries resulting from the duel against Samuel. Finn was the one who was better physically speaking, on the other hand, he was the one who suffered most psychologically. Finding out he wasn't the one was a big shock.

Priscila Lestrange and Jake Puckerman were arrested and taken into custody by the Ministry of Magic. Quinn Fabray, meanwhile, saw the opportunity to make some agreements: she would collaborate with the investigations since her custody was taken from Russell Fabray and she entered the list of people under the protection of the Aurors. Harry Potter accepted the terms instantly.

Two days after the attack, Finn was staring at the horizon. He couldn't stop thinking about the events when he faced death eaters for the first time and lost. Worst of all, he could hardly believe he was facing people close to him, who studied with him. How did things come to this? How could he have been so blind as not to notice the extremist tendencies of people around him, like Samuel Evans, his number one at the field? Is it because he himself had an extremist portion, especially when it came to people like Santana Lopez? Finn leaned against the greenhouse structure and watched the sunset.

"I don't understand how anyone can enjoy enjoying such a view in a place that smells like poop with dirt." Santana sat down at Finn's side without ceremony. She had difficulties due to cold and punished muscles. "It just might be someone like you, Hudson."

"At least that's my place. You're invading my space."

"True." Santana straightened.

"How's the arm?"

"At least it wasn't the left one."

"You've blocked a spell with your bare hand!" Finn was still impressed by the feat.

"I practice hard for it, Hudson. I practice to survive."

Finn could feel some pain in Santana's voice. A psychological pain, from someone who seemed to be already exhausted.

"How's Lily?"

"Using crutches. That is, sign for no one to approach. Have you seen how unpleasant she gets when she's angry? And she's not even adorable and angry. Lily is totally the type to be scary. I want to stay away from her these moments."

Finn nodded and they shared a giggle.

"She's special." Finn said gloomily. "You deserve to be with someone special like her."

"Everyone is special in their own way."

"Not you. You are something else. You are the chosen one."

"I'd pass the baton to you in a second if I could." Santana was being honest and Finn could feel it. "Do you want my job?"

"This is a job no one can have but you, Lopez. But if you want, I can help you."

"I'll count on it."

"Really?" Finn was genuinely surprised.

"Of course! I need a person big like you to serve as a shield." She laughed at her own joke. "By the way, Lily told how much you struggled against Patton and Samuel before you were surrendered and paralyzed. I know it takes a lot of courage to fight those bastards."

"You knocked down two of them! You beat me before it all happened. You tried to protect us and demonstrated great power even with a broken arm."

"It wasn't enough."

"That was enough for me, Lopez. You made me believe the cause. I mean, really believe."

"Does that mean you're no longer a racist homophobe? In a snap of your fingers? I'm sorry to say things are not that easy."

"Maybe you're right. It's just a start, right? "

"Right."

The sun went down and a cold breeze shivered Santana's body. She rose from the grass, leaving Finn alone with her own thoughts. The world grew darker and she didn't know if she would have the strength to find the light again.


	10. Year 6 - part 1

"Wake up!" Blaise Zabini kicked Samuel Evans' legs.

The pupil jumped up and then grunted. The clock showed it was five-thirty in the morning. Sign that outside the tent would still be dark and cold. The tent bed was poor, narrow and the deck was thin and smelling of sweat and dirt. Samuel was exhausted. It had been a month since he and Zabini fled Hogsmeade. A month in which the name of Samuel Evans was in the list of wanted by the British auror department. Although no one could formally accuse Blaise Zabini, he was sought out by the secret societies, such as the Order of the Phoenix and Dumbledore's Army, but with dark purposes. As for George Patton's body, this was left cremated and the remains buried in the mountains of the slope of Hogwarts. No one knew about Patton's whereabouts, much less that he was murdered by Samuel. For all intents and purposes, Patton was considered a fugitive, just like his fellow extremist friend.

Samuel had no idea where he and the master were going. Since they began to flee, they apparated in a certain isolated place from the rest of the world. Samuel was instructed in the training of the arts of darkness. They were teachings and magic that went beyond the three unforgivable curses. It had to do with principles, desires, philosophy, actions, way of life: subjects that the boy never thought about. Dark Magic at Hogwarts was treated as a kid's story. That there were evil, megalomaniacal people who needed to be fought. Zabini showed him another side of this story.

According to the master's version, wizards and Muggles lived together in the beginning of time. The wizards always had a position of authority or as mentors or as leaders of the tribes. Over time, the Muggles became majority and began to require the position of power in relation to the wizards. Sometimes they did it through the creation of some religious beliefs (especially when monotheistic religions overlap with polytheistic ones) and fear and envy because they didn't have the ability to do what the wizards did. Often the dispute was by pure and simple power, as the subject who poisons the king to occupy the throne.

The wizards felt that the cohabitation between them and muggles was becoming more and more conflicting and, therefore, they began to separate the worlds and to create the own organization. The fuse happened during the Crusade. The real First World War was far more than the clash of Christians fighting Islam: it was the moment of history in which the first great decimation of magic took place. It was the Church consolidating political and social power in Europe and attacking everything it considered a threat. Witches and wizards were decimated during the crusades. Only 150 wizards and witches survived across Europe, almost 1/3 of whom were born in Britain. That's why they felt the need to organize a secret and separated community in the name of survival. That part of the story was true, but silenced in the present times not to incite revolt.

The four Hogwarts' founders came together in this context: when the wizarding society was beginning to structure itself and they felt the need to form a school. Hogwarts' function wasn't to be a pedagogical place, but a structuring center of society that organized itself. Salazar Slytherin believed in the purity of the nature of magic. Rowena Ravenclaw came from the academic tradition of Greek philosophy and was a follower of the great masters, such as Plato, Pythagoras, and Aristotle. That is why she prized the formation of the intellect and was responsible for the pedagogical structure at Hogwarts. Godric Gryffindor was a duelist and a troop commander, hence his predilection for the "brave." Helga Hufflepuff had the spirit of collectivity and was the idealist who still believed in the coexistence of worlds.

In Zabini's view, worldly relationships among co-founders, a source of inspiration for novelists, was given greater importance than was necessary. Yes, Salazar Slytherin and Godric Gryffindor disagreed ideologically and yes, both were in love with Rowena Ravenclaw. There is a historian, Jove Grandblosson, who stated that Helena Ravenclaw was, in fact, Salazar's daughter. But it was all speculation to feed the imaginary about the four founders.

What was of interest to Zabini was that the school was a refuge, a place to learn, and at the same time a forum for social and political discussions: the school was, in practice, the first International Confederation of Wizards and the Ministry of Magic. Rowena and Salazar had visions in common. Both believed that wizards and muggles couldn't be together. The difference was the how. Rowena considered the knowledge and didn' care about its origin. She herself thoroughly researched muggle science at a time when wizards were more advanced, technologically speaking. It therefore advocated the separation of worlds, but never the separation of exchange of knowledge. She was also tolerant of the origin. She thought that once someone had magical blood, even Muggle-born ones, it should be part of the community. As Salazar advocated complete and definitive ruptures, he was labeled as extremist and radical.

Godric and Helga advocated coexistence for different reasons. Helga because she was subservient and would be able to accept that the wizards put themselves in servile position if it meant peace. However, the concept of peace she understood often was synonymous with mute- ness. Godric wanted integration for warmongering reasons: witches were very few at the time to venture into campaigns of conquest. He needed muggles to make maneuver. Although much of the narrative involved the founders being familiar to the official one, there was no way of knowing whether such a version was true or not.

Thus, Zabini gave Samuel a more flexible and open-minded view of the world than the idealized story taught at Hogwarts. Salazar wasn't a shady and bad man, but someone who lived according to his own convictions. And what honour could a man who lived for war, such as Godric did? Zabini pointed out to Samuel the (relevant) hypocrisies that surrounded the myth of the founders.

"Master?" Samuel said still feeling lazy. "What is today's agenda?"

"A test. Fix the tent."

Samuel first tidied his knapsack with touches of wand. Then he took care of the structure of the tent, which magically folded. All he had to do was finish rolling the fabric and fastening it to his backpack. Generally, when the procedure was to disarm the tent, it was a sign that the two would apparate to another place would walk him. It was also the opportunity for Zabini to teach the disciple his own vision of history. Camping meant practical training, which Samuel enjoyed much more.

As expected, Zabine grabbed the pupil's arm and apparated to another place. From the top of one of the Scandinavian Alps, they disappeared in a valley, in the middle of a pine forest that surrounded a small river.

"Tell me what you see." Zabini ordered.

"Woods!" Samuel said almost impatiently. They left without eating anything and his stomach complained.

"Foolish fool!" Zabine slapped the pupil's head hard.

Samuel glared at Zabini, then sighed. He looked around and tried to find whatever the master wanted him to identify. He walked a few steps and tried to perceive the surrounding environment.

"You need to concentrate," Zabini instructed. "Close your eyes and feel the energetic flow around you. Use your differentiated perception, your ability to see what the ordinary can not. "

Samuel tried to concentrate and do exactly as the master commanded. It sounded like training stuff like in the Star Wars movies, but it made sense. Wizards had a distinct perception of muggles, they could actually feel distinct energy patterns, especially the denser ones. Wizards could see creatures that only muggles with sharper perceptions could perceive, and yet they would think it was their own imagination. Concentration was the key to perceiving subtleties that might go unnoticed even to the wizards themselves, for magic and nature were able to guard even more. These are new insights that Samuel learned from Zabini: teachings of classes at Hogwarts ignored and that the pragmatic bureaucrats of the Ministry of Magic despised.

"Is there a gate there?" Samuel looked uncertain.

"There?" Zabini challenged.

Samuel walked toward what appeared to be a large gate in the midst of a fog. The structure itself seemed diffused, as if it were an illusion. He held out his hand, fixed his gaze, and felt the solid structure.

"What is this place?" Samuel asked the master who was right behind him.

"The test. There is a gate in front of you. Do you know how to open it?"

Samuel took the wand, tried to visualize the lock, and began by a simple alohomora. Nothing happened. Tried again and nothing. He walked away and tried Bombarda. Then the higher-powered version, but the gate still showed no scratches.

"What the fuck is that?" He was exhausted. "Is there some secret spell I need to know to open this shit?"

"You really are an idiot!" Zabini chuckled at the pupil's failure. "The gate doesn't want vulgarity. He demands what makes you worthy."

"Worthy?"

"Yes, worthy! Didn't you pay attention to one word I told you? What makes you worthy, Evans? If you can't answer that question, it means that it is too stupid for me and what you find beyond this gate to teach you."

Zabini turned his back and apparated to a nearby spot where he could watch Samuel. He saw the apprentice pacing, rattling, cursing, holding the bars of the gate, shaking, trying out some more explosive spells. The master simply rolled his eyes. He knew that Samuel Evans wasn't intelligent. On the other hand, he was powerful, the half that most interested him in the prophecy that had become popular. For all that, Samuel Evans was the weapon he and the society he belonged to had been waiting for decades.

On the other hand, even being a weapon, Zabini couldn't simply give him the answers and not make him think, even if only minimally. For the journey that must be done, Samuel should know how to proceed.

Samuel, on the other hand, repeated incessantly the word 'worthy'. He sat on the floor, crossed his legs, and rocked back and forth. What makes you worthy? He began to tap a rock. He struck out in frustration once, twice, three times. He hurt himself in the fourth punch. He screamed in pain, closed his hand, and then studied the bruise and sucked the blood out of the wound. That was when he understood what made him worthy: blood. Its pure blood. Their unmixed lineage for generations sufficient to be considered pure, or pure enough.

He took a penknife from the backpack and cut a slit in the palm of his hand, letting the blood flow freely. He went to the almost translucent gate and held the lock. Suddenly the lock opened, the gateway gained materiality and opened.

"I thought you'd take it all day." Zabini apparated beside the pupil.

"What place is this?"

Zabini took the knife from the pupil's hands and cut off his own palm. He reached across the front of his body and passed the gate.

"Everyone needs to prove they are worthy to enter this sacred place." Zabini explained. "Even those who have been here before. Now get our things and get in, Evans."

Samuel took the backpack from the floor and entered the inside door. Walk through the woods until you see a small castle. The door opened and from inside came a tall, white-haired man, very well dressed. He smiled when he saw Zabini and hugged him.

"Finally!"

"It took some time to teach the boy some basics."

"So this is the boy ..." The man looked at Samuel and offered a hand to greet him. "Nice to meet you."

"Samuel Evans."

"Evans... it's a pleasure... my name is Antonin Dolohov and it's an honour to have you here."

...

"Wake up!" Sue Sylvester ripped the covers off Santana.

The young woman jumped and then grunted. The clock showed five-thirty in the morning. Sign that outside the house would still be dark and cold. Santana's bed was very good on that particular day. It had taken her a while to sleep the night before because of the pain in her body. When she finally managed to rest, a mad auror (Santana's words) took her out of the silence. Santana saw Rachel muttering in the next bed. There was nothing she could do about it. A month ago she and her sister returned to the United States to stay with their mother. Instead of New York, as usual, or venturing in a hostile environment in Ohio, they traveled to Kohadjo, Maine, a region that lay in a valley at the foot of the Appalachian Mountains. Kohadjo was one of the largest wizard-only villages in the United States, with just over 500 inhabitants. It was also the birthplace of Sue Sylvester and, according to her, the safest place in the United States for Santana.

The family had arrived in the village so Santana could take the time away from Hogwarts to practice with an adult nearby, just for a change. The adults decided that Santana couldn't try to learn everything alone or with the help of people as young as she. Shelby took leave from work just to spend a month with her daughters. It was astonished that, just as in London, there was a boarding platform for an express that made the New York-Mount Greylock / Ilvermorny-Waterville-Kohadjo line, thus covering the main belt of cities of the wizarding world of the American East Coast .

They arrived at dawn on Kohadjo after a long, 16-hour trip. They went down to the little town station and drove straight to the Sylvester family home. Shelby was surprised to see that the house was one of the largest in the city, with three domestic elves who tended the property. The women were accommodated in two rooms: one with two beds for Santana and Rachel and a guest room with a double bed for Shelby. The next morning, they met Doris and Robin Slylvester, as well as Imelda, Robin's nanny. Doris was a famous Auror in her time, known for being one of the greatest dark hunters in the United States. She had retired and wasn't a particularly pleasant person, but the guests didn't have to deal with her for a long time, for on the same day she left for a conference in Ireland where she would stay for a few weeks. When Doris found out who Santana was, she looked at the girl from below, said that the British were too soft, too liberal, so they had so much trouble with dark witches and wizards. In the United States, dark witches and wizards could be punishable by capital punishment.

Robin was a nine-year-old girl with down syndrome, which limited her ability to do magic. She and the aunt who had died years earlier were the only people known to have down syndrome in the wizarding world. Robin was looked after by Imelda in Sue's absence. It was a second mother who educated the girl as best she could, since Sue spent a lot of time in New York.

Shelby thought Kohadjo was the place of the most civilized wizarding world he has ever visited. The structure was no different from the small American towns, the wizards act more normal. In less than a day, the whole town knew of the visitors and that Shelby was a "no-maj" with two witches daughters. Many of the women were sympathetic because they felt sorry for her. In their view, Shelby was unfortunate because she couldn't do what everyone else could. Rachel found the little village lovely. She was older than Hogsmeade, and she quickly became friends with the twins Mason and Madison, students of Ilvermorny, who were as fond of Broadway as she. He also approached Dani, a girl who was very musical and a great lover of Muggle pop music.

Santana, in turn, trained. Sue allowed her a tourist day before starting a heavy load of training. To the young woman's surprise, no day involved grief training, but physical conditioning. Santana spent the first few weeks running, pecking, weightlifting, and other such activities. Sue believed that good physical conditioning helped the magic flow better through the body. In her opinion, training for Quidditch wasn't enough to gain physical strength.

"For Merlin! I can still see the planet Venus in the sky." Santana said sulkily.

"Glad you paid attention to astronomy classes." Sue rolled her eyes. "Have you had breakfast?"

"By chance did you leave?"

"Good to know..."

Sue took Santana's arm and apparated. They disappeared over one of the hills, where it was possible to see Kohadjo in the distance. Santana were still accustomed to the hassle of the apparition, which she considered more turbulent than teleportation. She had to make a huge effort to control her stomach. Sue wasn't impressed by Santana's supposed resistance, and she grunted.

"You should have gotten used to it by now. Children here have apparated with their parents since they were babies."

"I didn't have this habit. Besides, Dumbledore put a protective spell on me." Santana reached for the little bottle of water that was inside her backpack.

"You talk to Dumbledore's spirit?" Sue mocked.

"Abeforth Dumbledore! Not Albus Dumbledore." Santana took a sip of water and took a deep breath. "I wish the protection spell was still working..."

"Protection spells need to be redone from time to time. Nothing is definitive in nature." Sue took a deep breath, feeling nature. She did a quick stretch as she was watched closely by Santana.

"What's going to be today? Run down the hill? Are you going to trigger some avalanche while I'm halfway the same yesterday?"

"I want you to feel and enjoy the view."

"I'd appreciate it better if it had already dawned."

"Cut the attitude, Corcoran!"

"It's Lopez." Santana said between her teeth. "I don't have my mother's last name."

"Does that bore you?"

"It doesn't make any difference."

"Okay, let's get down to business. What do you know about mind reading? "

"There are wizards who are wrestlers and can naturally read other people's minds, but they are very rare. It can be done by a complex spell called Legilimens that few can execute. It is classified as treacherous magic, but it is said that Hermione Granger is master of this type of spell."

"You mean the new Minister of Magic hides some cards up her sleeve?" Sue smiled. "Good to know that cocky asshole can play dirty."

"Do you know her?"

"Yeah. It's a story for another time. Now, Lopez, you must have understood what we're doing here."

"Are you going to teach me how to read minds?"

"No, I'll train you to resist the procedure."

"I've already seen that it will hurt."

"You're in the right conditions, Lopez. You're physically tired, sleepy, irritated ... that's exactly what they'll try to do if they get their hands on you."

"What should I do?" Santana sighed, already predicting that it would hurt.

"Focus and don't let me into your mind."

"Okay."

Sue pointed to the wand and quickly had access to some of Santana's memories, as her joy at winning Quidditch games. They were the shallower memories, easier to access because they didn't involve anything that Santana wanted to hide or that she considered precious. Still, the experience wasn't pleasant for Santana. It was only Quidditch, but the sensation was as if Sylvester had pressed her skull against an invisible wall and pierced it with a drill.

"You're not even trying!" Slyvester complained.

"They won't want to read my mind! They will want to kill me!" Santana complained. She's dizzy and her stomach is sick.

There was some logic in Santana's complaint, which made Sue Sylvester ponder for a moment. Not that Santana kept any important secrets. The biggest threat on Santana was the symbolic power she had, not her knowledge. Sue then tried to remember the report she had received from her mission: the girl in front of her. She was a woman who was planning and training would be no different. Regardless of whether Santana was right or not, that was what Sue had planned to do for that week.

"Your memories matter." Sylvester tried to argue. "If they don't have the opportunity to kill you, they will want to weaken you anyway. They sent you a boggart because they wanted to know your biggest fears. That's why the Ministry of Magic agents didn't allow you to take such a practice test with a Boggart at school. There could be infiltrators wanting to know their greatest fear to exploit it. Certain memories, no matter how silly, can be very well used by your enemies ... or friends. You need to know how to protect them."

"I even agree with you, but please, not today, not now. I'm tired! I should be on vacation with my girlfriend. But I'm here, in this city outside my country, with a sadistic woman torturing me."

"Sorry, girl. I don't care. Legilimens."

This time it was not just the shallow victories in Quidditch. Sylvester invaded more and more the intimate of Santana. It was as if it passed before her eyes memories of classes, of friends, scenes with Rachel, with Shelby. With each layer unveiled, the more agonizing was the pain and the more she tried to resist. Sylvester was ruthless and seemed not to care about the suffering he was inflicting. Until she managed to reach more private memories of Santana with Brittany, the first kiss given on a Christmas Eve night. Santana struggled and fought, clenching her fists, trying to fight the physical pain. She was mentally trying not to give Sylvester access. That's when she had the memories of Lily accessed. More specifically the first real kiss the two shared in the European Quidditch Championship. Even with the unbearable pain, no way would she let Sue Sylvester witness belatedly one of the best moments of her life so far. She screamed. High. So loud that she was sure she could be heard on Kohadjo. She gestured with her hands as if she were pushing Sue. In fact, she was magically doing it. Unconsciously, Santana knocked the mentor down without wand.

The torture session was over, not without consequences. The head was spinning. The pain was desperate, and Santana vomited the billows she had accumulated in her stomach. She lay down on the floor completely exhausted and at the mercy of Sylvester.

"Get up!" Sue ordered.

"I need some time."

"You may not have the time, Lopez. Look at the power you've shown now. You need to control it."

"Please. I'm not Jean Grey. I'm not a girl who's going to go crazy just because she has some power on her hands. I just want to go home and sleep. Please!"

"Get up now!"

"Go to hell!" Again Santana didn't wield her wand yet was able to knock her down.

Santana didn't mind the demonstration of her own power. She was floundering for it. All she wanted was to stay well away from Sue Sylvester. She got up and started to walk, even if stumbling and stumbling, she die down.

"Where do you think you're going?" Sue reached for Santana and grabbed her shoulder, but was rejected.

"Away from you."

"Your training is not over."

"Yes, it's over!" Santana continued to walk even with difficulties.

"I'm not going to give you a ride, Lopez. You don't know how to aparate alone and it is 20 kilometers of walk to the village. If you do not obey me, you'll have to stay on your own."

"Great!" Santana snarled. "Go take care of your life."

Sylvester stopped and watched Santana stumble and stand up one last time before parting, leaving the pupil to her own devices.

Santana took an entire morning to overcome the 20 kilometers between descending the hill, crossing the small forest and reaching the limits of Kohadjo.

Observed with astonishment by the locals, Shelby crossed the central square. She was there, buying some fruit, completely oblivious to what had happened to her daughter. She left the negotiations with the owner of the grocery store and ran toward Santana as soon as she saw her dirty, curved, fatigued older daughter.

"My God, what happened to you? Where's Sue?" Shelby hugged an exhausted Santana and nuzzled her in his arms.

"Mother ... let's go home ... please! I want to go back to New York."

"Let's go, my daughter."

Santana gave a brief smile and fainted with exhaustion in Shelby's arms.

...

"What do you think you're doing, Sue?" Shelby snarled when she saw the auror inside the hostess's house. "You should help her develop skills, not torture her."

"The enemies she will encounter along the way will do much worse."

"For God sake! My daughter is only fifteen! She's a teenager, a person. She's not a weapon you'll use to save your asses! Santana should be seeing her girlfriend, her friends, going to the movies, parties, and trying to do all the shit I was doing when I was her age."

"Unfortunately, she is not an ordinary teenager. Not even for our parameter."

"Still, she is my daughter and I will no longer allow you to mistreat her."

"Um... that's why all heroes are orphans..."

Shelby closed her eyes on the auror and drew her own conclusions.

"Tomorrow I and my daughters are going to pack our things and go back to New York. Thank you for your protection and hospitality here in this village, Sue, but I can't stay here and not even accept your presence at my house."

"Do you know what a boggart is?" Sylvester tried to turn the tables, making Shelby rationalize from another angle.

"No." The muggle was surprised by the sudden change of subject.

"It's what Muggles see as children and they claim to be the bogeyman. It's a magical creature that manages to morph in our worst fears. Do you know your daughter's boggart? You, Rachel and her father dead. If anything happens to you three, it will destroy Santana. So don't be ignorant and don't turn your back on us."

Shelby sat down on the couch and tried to reason a little. She was an adult and needed to speak for her daughter. She understood that Santana was different, but even she deserved a normal life. She had to find a middle ground.

"Ok... if this is so... I accept your presence. I agree to stay in this city on one condition and it's not negotiable."

"Say it."

"The drills only continue if she wants to."

"That's ridiculous, Corcoran."

"I stay under your protection, I stay in your house, I temporarily give up my career and stay in this stupid city if necessary. Just don't torture my daughter. She needs to live like a teenager. Rachel made friends here while Santana is suffering. This isn't right."

"Corcoran..." Sylvester tried to insist on the need to prepare Santana, even if her methods were hard.

"What if it was your daughter? And if it were Robin who had come today, shuffling, hungry, thirsty, filthy? What if Robin had fainted in your arms?"

Sylvester looked away from Shelby.

"I'm sure we can find a middle ground."

"That might be acceptable."

...

Russell Fabray was in an extraordinary meeting with his partners. Everything labeled "extraordinary" in that particular group's code meant that men would discuss some business with fun included. For fun, it was understood that members would meet at the Arrows' headquarters to discuss small directions to the club and championships with distilled spirits of any kind and prostitute muggles that would be obliterated at the end of the 'negotiations'. Russell was the master of ceremonies for extraordinary meetings. He said Muggles should pay them to have "pure and magical semen inside." He liked (and even preferred) if such a prostitute and supposedly privileged muggle was only 13 years old. In front of the partners, he smiled as he rubbed his lasciviously on the teenager he chose: a beautiful girl with Latin American features.

"Look! I will fuck the chosen one!"

Even if the place was basically an orgy, Russell had some reservations to expose himself. He took to his office the girl who was younger than her own youngest daughter. He ordered her to take off his clothes so that he could 'sate' properly. He was so focused on the practice of vulnerable rape that he didn't notice the noise coming from outside the office until it was 'too late'.

"Russell Fabray!" Auror Athena Milles invaded the room and attacked him, paralyzing him. She kicked the rigid body of the middle-aged man, pulling him off the teenage girl. "You are arrested on behalf of the UK Ministry of Magic on charges of treason, conspiracy, influence peddling, torture and, now, exploitation of the underage prostitution of Muggles."

She paused for a moment as she saw the naked teenager curled up on the corner of the sofa. Athena lamented the scene, lamented that the girl's childhood had been stolen by disgusting people like Russell Fabray, who liked to exploit the fragile situation of others to quench their own wills, to impose their own truths. The girl was scared. Unfortunately, the auror couldn't do much about it. The procedure is that the girl would be heard, the testimony would be recorded and then she would be oblivied and left under the tutelage of responsible Muggle's agents, as was the agreement made with the British government. The magic minister didn't respond to the prime minister or the king (yes, William I knew of the existence of the Ministry of Magic), but it had a moral duty to communicate whenever the so-called "intransigence" occurred. Athena, cautiously, gave to the girl her robe.

"Dress, my dear. This nightmare is over. "

The Auror team were successful in fulfilling the largest conspiratorial hunt ever held in recent history. All thanks to Harry Potter and the collaborations of newly elected magic minister Hermione Granger. They also aided the collaborators, Dumbledore's Army, the Order of the Phoenix remnants, and special collaborations such as Draco Malfoy. 117 wizards were arrested as active participants in the conspiratorial movement aimed at supporting the rise of the new supreme wizard of darkness, thus setting the scene for the chosen one to thrive. These wizards were distributed in action cells that responded only to a commander in common who used the codename The Purifier. Unfortunately, this wasn't picked up. In several cells were similar plan encounters. Some of them planned the plain and simple murder of Santana Lopez. Others felt that they ought to be monitored and weakened, for the honour of killing her should be the Lord of Darkness. Plans against Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and all the allies of 'muggles, half-bloods and bloodstains' were also found. Luckily and unlike Muggles, the legal wizarding process was quick and the 117 wizards would go to Azkaban by the end of the summer.

...

Quinn Fabray read the pages of the Daily Prophet with unique satisfaction. One side of her thought she should feel bad to see her own father being photographed handcuffed alongside powerful as Demetrius Wilde. In fact, she would love to see the face of the disaffected Kitty Wilde at that moment. It was a historic moment in which many even thought it had changed to such a prophecy. That the new dark lord would no longer be able to emerge and that Santana Lopez would be free of her responsibilities, if she were really chosen one.

For Quinn, that meant freedom, even if temporary. She closed the paper and went to the bedroom window in Athena Milles' apartment. She scanned the landscape of Greys suburb, London, which lay near the banks of the River Thames. It was a neighbourhood with very narrow apartments and minimal rooms. It was different from the Fabray mansion in Tutshill, which was already extraordinary in itself. For the first time in a long time, she was happy: she helped put her own father in jail.

"Fabray?" Quinn heard the auror come home.

"Here!" She answered from the room, then heard the footsteps toward the room.

"Hungry? I brought Thai food."

"Thai?"

"There's fish dumpling and Chang Mai noodles."

The dishes sounded alien to the teen. Perceiving the strangeness, Athena tried to encourage her.

"I bought it at a very good restaurant. Right from the neighborhood. I know the manager and I assure you the food is delicious."

"Excuse me. It's just that I still find all this integration with muggle culture very strange."

"I see... your father is a purist and you were brought up without contact with the Muggles." Athena tried to disguise the expression of disgust she had felt from the man in question since being caught in the act of arrest. It was in moments like this that she prided herself at the same time that she regretted her choice of profession. "Knowing other things besides our little world is not bad. It's quite liberating, actually. You can try other cultures without betraying your own. Plus, there's nothing wrong with trying a different, tasty treat."

Quinn looked at the packages and frowned. Never in her life has she tasted food that came in paper bags. She could see the oil stain escaping from one side and she was seriously suspicious, even tempted to cook two eggs once again: the only culinary skill she possessed. Athena began packing her meal on the tiny two-person table in the corner of the room. She arranged the dishes. She picked up two bottles of butterbeer and waited for the teenage company.

Quinn allowed herself to watch the auror for a second. Athena was the youngest of the corporation. She was also one of the rare Slytherin who decided on such a career. Quinn remembered Athena still in school: in her first year at Hogwarts, Athena, in her seventh year, was the student who represented the school in the world school transfiguration tournament held in Castelobruxo. She ranked third place, which was an honourable position except for a Slytherin. She remembered Athena being a girl who didn't like to draw attention to herself. She was handsome, of Indian and Caucasian ancestry, with large eyes, smooth black hair, and lighter skin than an Indian would normally have. She was also a good student with modest popularity. She had a boyfriend at the time Quinn even remembered his name. Things didn't work out between the two, considering that Athena appeared to have a solitary, almost Spartan life.

Quinn approached the table and timidly poured herself two cupcakes of one serving with six and a third of the contents of the noodles. She tasted a little of both before devouring the contents of her plate. Not that it was tasty: Athena was mistaken because the food prepared in the wizarding mode by the domestic elves was much tastier. It was just a matter of being hungry.

"I read in the newspaper about the big operation yesterday," Quinn commented after wiping her mouth with a napkin.

"How do you feel about it?"

"My father got what he deserved. But I'm worried about my mother. She's not a bad person. She was a little absent after my sister died."

"How old were you when Frannie died?"

"I was nine years old and Frannie was 13. She came home for her summer vacation and my father had that tradition of sailing out with us. It was said that the Fabray was a family of wizard sailors and that all generations honoured this tradition. I was on shore keeping my mother company when my father and sister went out to sail. When they came back, Frannie was just a body. My father said that a strong wave knocked her down and she drowned. No one questioned him."

"You think you should?"

"My father did terrible things to me. What would keep him from doing terrible things to my sister?"

"It's a question that, unfortunately, I can't answer."

Quinn was thoughtful for a moment. Frannie was a subject she avoided talking to. Neither with her parents nor with your closest friends. In fact, she had not even touched her sister's name in years. She wouldn't let herself think about it. Quinn looked at Athena and wondered what the Auror did to remind her of a subject she was trying to bury? Did she have any portion of the truth in beer? It wouldn't be right, because Quinn collaborated with the investigations and helped incriminate her own father.

"What will happen to my mother?"

"I can't discuss these things with you, but the procedure is to release those who collaborate with the department if there are no serious faults or blatant evidence of crimes. If Judy Fabray is clean, she'll be released soon and you can live with her, if you wish."

Quinn nodded and finished drinking her beer. She looked at the apartment once more. She wasn't sure if she wanted to leave so soon the place that gave her some security, even if it was to stay with her mother. The idea of returning to the mansion in Tutshill made her shiver.

"What's going to happen to Santana?"

"What about Santana?" Athena wondered.

"She is the chosen one and you aurors send her to America every year in the name of security. And now? Is she safe?"

"Perhaps."

"Perhaps?"

"It's not my business. What I can say is that this action made our world a little safer."

Quinn wasn't convinced, but neither did she show what she felt. She had been very good at hiding feelings.

...

"The secret is to stay in the shadows." Antonin Dolohov walked beside Samuel, followed closely by Blaise Zabini. "It's as this temple of the arts of darkness stood to the present day. The temple alone can teach us much."

"How old is this temple?" Samuel asked.

"They say it was built by Salazar Slytherin himself, after he left Hogwarts. Others say that the one who built the temple was the great Sorzus, the first to steal Antioch Peverell's wand. Others say the mansion was built from the ruins of the original temple, as old as the first astronomers."

"Who are these, I say, of course everyone knows the story of the founders. But who are Sorzus and Antioch Peverell?"

Dolohov smiled briefly at the young man and continued walking through the clean, airy aisles of the mansion. He opened a heavy wooden door, which turned out to be a relatively large library. It could be estimated that the room housed more than a thousand books.

"I ask you a question and you show me old books?" Samuel was annoyed.

"I show you power," Dolohov explained, gesturing graciously. "Rowena Ravenclaw has always been guided by the motto of which knowledge is power. I don't know another truth. This here, young man, are not just books. This is the first access to true power. Morgana Le Fay herself studied in this library, as well as the great masters of the magic." He turned his wand and one of the books left the shelf and headed for a round study table in the room. Another twist of the wand and the pages ran to what Dolohov wanted to show. "I made a terrible mistake in devoting my loyalty and energy to Lord Voldemort. He was an illegitimate master whose impurity in his blood could never open the gates of this sacred ground. The power begins with the purity of the blood, and you have it, dear Samuel, or you wouldn't even have entered this temple. The second step of power is instruction and this book will be your starting point."

"The chronicles of the Palatine Wayland?" Samuel grunted and Dolohov slapped his face so well that the teenager balked.

"The Chronicles of the Wayland Palatine." Dolohov read the title more solemnly. "The first who tried to attain supreme power. You need to read, learn what he has to teach and also identify his faults. When you can understand the teachings, you can begin the third step."

"The practice?"

"No, idiot. The search."

Samuel growled in frustration. The two masters turned their backs on him and left him in the library. He thought of some alternatives that were not attractive or useful to him. Decided for obedience. He sat down and pulled the book close to him. "The Chronicles of Paladin Wayland," read the title again and glanced over the page with no illustrations. He flipped the book to check the length of the text: it counted 23 pages. It wasn't much. He began to read.

"Mars reigned in the sky. Its red mark left traces for the dark cloak of the night and also on the ground. Stains of purity on the clear stone were evidences of the jealousy of the disciples who could do nothing... "

...

Shelby got the news with unique happiness from Juan himself. The healer traveled to Kohadjo to rejoin his daughter and his ex-girlfriend because he wanted to tell the news in person. In addition, Kohadjo was considered a safe place to stay. Juan arrived at the usual time of dawn (when the express arrived at the station of the city) and was welcomed by Shelby and Sue. Without wishing to wake the girls, Juan accepted a cup of tea and talked about the operation performed by the Aurors.

"You mean our daughter is out of danger?" Shelby asked under the impact of Juan's words.

"It means she's safer. I have never seen such a dedication from a government to try to stop an announced catastrophe. People really want to invalidate the prophecy."

"That's great. The thing I most want right now is that we can get back to a normal life. I want to go back to work and I want my daughters to have the life they were supposed to have at their age."

"Not to ruin your excitement, Corcoran." Sue interrupted. "But the kid that rivals Santana was found?"

"No," Juan replied.

"Sorry, but if so, it's prudent for Santana to continue training here until she can get back to Hogwarts."

"No. I came here to be able to take her back to London. That's what I'm going to do. It's important bring Santana back to London, even to show people that everything is fine."

"Do as you wish, Lopez, you are the father. But keep in mind that your daughter may even be a little safer now. But as long as the other boy is not found, this will only be tentative."

"Maybe the other boy will no longer find fertile ground in my country," Juan retorted.

"It's in those moments that show why you're a healer and why I'm an Auror," Sylvester replied rolling her eyes. "You see the world according to its fundamentalist codes. I need to see beyond."

"Are you suggesting that I should leave my daughter here with you?" Juan frowned.

"I'm saying that prevention doesn't hurt anyone. The other boy may have lost base in the UK. That doesn't mean he needs to build his kingdom on your pathetic island. The world is much bigger than UK. The only certainty is that he will see your daughter as an obstacle to self-assertion, no matter if she cares little about him. The prophecy did this. When the time comes, I pray the good lord that she is ready."

...

 _"Dear Lilian Luna Potter II,_

 _Did I tell you how much your name exudes arrogance? Ha ha ha._

 _Seriously, I was very happy with the news. I can't believe we will have a chance, let alone a damn thing, of any of this damn prophecy to happen. Thank your father for all the efforts he has made. With all my heart._

 _Here is the hell on earth. Or at least that's what my coach is determined to look like. Rachel is the only person who seems to have liked this city. She found a bunch of Broadway lovers to call her own. Nothing but two annoying twin brothers and Dani, who is even nice. Just yesterday they serenaded my parents. This is very crazy... I never imagined that the eminence of a war could unite them again. At least they're talking to each other._

 _The good news is I'm getting out of this hell. Of course, I will still be under all protection and yada yada yada, but at least I will finally be able to rest my brain. The best thing of all is finally being able to see you. Piegas, right? But it's true, Lily. My life is crazy and you are one of the few healthy things. I have so much to say, but it will be in person. I can't wait for this._

 _Please wait for me._

 _With love,_

 _Santana. "_

Lily folded the letter from her girlfriend she hadn't seen in months. Not by her will or even by Santana herself. The magical portion of London was bustling in recent months because of the revelation of the main characters of the prophecy. Santana Lopez and Samuel Evans printed the newspapers almost every day, even though they were both absent. Rita Skeeter speculated on their love life, especially involving Brittany Pierce and Quinn Fabray. Not to mention that Lily and Santana's relationship had become public, thanks to the same columnist.

Lily loved Santana, but the exposure was a burden. Worst of all, she endured this on her own. The consolation was to know that Santana wasn't at her side because of a need. In a way, it was even positive. Lily went downstairs and found her brother in the living room.

"When's she coming?" Albus asked.

"In a few days, I think. The letters she writes can't contain very specific details."

"In case they get intercepted, I know."

"That sucks. The worst part is that I really miss her. How is this possible? Is it such a prophecy?"

"I doubt it." Albus smiled and threw the quaffle at his sister. "Ready?"

"Of course. This year the cup will return to Gryffindor, and I'm going to win the School World Cup. More than that, I'm going to make my girlfriend pay the best bet. Wait for me!"

"You're really excited."

"After spending the whole month training defence against dark art with you, you can't imagine how anxious I am for some fun."

"I wish I were there to see that, Lil."

"I know. But you'll know everything, Al. I'll send you a bunch of letters while you and Scorpius are practicing to be the best Aurors in history."

"Thank you sis. But you have to promise one more thing."

"What?"

"It doesn't matter how much things look like they're going to get better, you need to create the Order of Hippogriff, with or without Santana's approval."

"Do you really think the prophecy will happen?"

"One way or another, be prepared. She'll need you."

...

"The art of darkness is not about destruction, but freedom." Antonin Dolohov explained to Samuel as they walked through the outer area of the mansion. "Freedom is achieved when one is free from bonds. That's when you can achieve everything you want. Do you know what do you want, dear Evans?"

"I don't know..."

"Here is the second step that needs to be done alongside instruction: knowing what you want and identifying obstacles, be they physical or abstract. When you retire today, I suggest that you reflect a lot and make a list of what you want and need to eliminate to get you where you want to go."

"And if what I want is too little?"

"There is no size for what you want. Desires are desires no matter if they are mundane or abstract. Voldemort wished for eternal life, Morgana La Fey wanted a kingdom, Salazar Slytherin desired purity. Knowing what you want is not an easy path. It's a quest, Evans, that can sometimes take a lifetime. I wished I had a purpose. I thought that meant being part of something big. As I believed in Voldemort's ideals, I followed him as a slave. I was his greatest butcher, I learned a lot from him, I saw what it was to have power by force and fear. When I saw the one who believed that my master was dying as a filthy mundane, I understood that I was deceiving myself about what I was. That's when I fled Britain and found my mentor, this temple and the Order. Only then did I understand what I really wanted."

They caught sight of a bird that smacked a treetop, which brought a welcome pause. The wizards retreated and into the mansion. They dined, ate the best they could, and then they retired to their respective quarters. In the dim light of his room, Samuel took a parchment and a pen. He began to list what he wanted, from the most mundane and immediate to the deepest.

\- Freedom from my parents and friends;

\- Owning Quinn Fabray;

\- To remove the impure from power;

\- Have the power to make the necessary changes;

\- Preserve my culture.

What was the barrier he had to get what he wanted? It was a difficult answer, but he had the image of a person who was a symbolic obstacle because of the constant indirect presence he had in his life. Without hesitation, he wrote.

\- Santana Lopez.

…

Santana and Lily exchanged passionate kisses. They hadn't seen each other for almost three months. They missed the better part of the Summer, and didn't want to be interrupted. They had only a week's vacation before Hogwarts classes started over. There was little time to do all the activities that Santana had glimpsed. She wanted to show London that she loved to her girlfriend, a place that went far beyond the places the muggles couldn't see. London had Camden, Borough. Santana wanted to go hand in hand with Lily in Windsor, Greenwich, pretend to be a tourist and visit Big Ben. And in the end, as no one is iron, she wanted to stay at home, watch a Romanesque comedy movie while they cuddle on the couch.

Santana even had a script, but when she met Lily again, she ignored all the plans and jumped straight to the part where she was cuddling with her girlfriend at home. The Potters' home was a lot better than last time she was there. James was away from home, which considerably reduced tensions. Albus had been accepted as Auror and was awaiting his last vacation before being subjected to a year-long training to join the corporation as a cadet. Lily was busy with the Daily Prophet's sports notebook, while Harry Potter was too busy to keep the extremists in jail. Since Rachel went to the Weasleys' house to stay with Hugo, there was plenty of room for both of them.

"San..." Lily broke the kiss. "I think the movie is over..."

Santana looked at the still-analog television screen and at the old DVD player that miraculously worked in that house. On the screen came up the credits of 'About Time', whose protagonist, as was well observed by Lily, looked like her Uncle Bill Weasley. Santana had already seen the movie in New York with her sister and mother and cried all the time at the end. She didn't want to repeat the dose, so she was distracted by Lily's lips.

"I know you guys want to be alone, but there are people at home." Albus sat down on the couch next to the couple and wondered at the DVD. "When did it come in here?"

"I bought the DVD player at the second-hand store," Santana explained. "Who knows, the Potters can finally get their hands on the outside world even a decade or so late."

"We don't live in a cocoon, Lopez," Albus snapped.

"This television is from the last century. When was the last time it was connected to something?"

"My mom watches muggle games sometimes," Lily explained. "Mom is preparing a series on why football is the most popular muggle sport."

"You say about the sport that has 22 guys on the field and yet a match can end in zero to zero? I don't even understand that!"

"Spoke to Muggle Specialist." Albus scoffed.

"I know a lot more than you do," Santana snapped. "At least I know all the Star Wars trilogies while you still wonder if the Muggles actually got to the Moon."

"What does a movie have to do with muggles on the moon?" Lily was confused by her girlfriend's argument.

"Everything happens in space."

"And I still asked..." Lily rolled her eyes.

"Did you know the man went to the Moon because of Flash Gordon?" Santana continued to Lily's disgust, Albus, on the other hand, was interested where that conversation would go.

"What is Flash Gordon?"

"He's a comic strip character. In the story, he invents a rocket to save Earth from an asteroid ... I'm not sure, but it's something like that. Interestingly, a NASA engineer started making rockets because he really liked those stories. In a way, the man went to the Moon because of the Flash Gordon."

"That doesn't seem logical to me." Albus couldn't understand the relationship Santana was trying to explain.

"Fiction drives the innovations, you see? Things like the submarine and the car... all were imagined before by science fiction writers like Jules Verne. Muggles are motivated by these things. Way more than us. They imagine something and develop a technology. I think that's cool."

"Is not that why they're destroying everything?" Lily countered.

"That too. Although I think this has more to do with money and power than with technology. But that's not their fault."

"That's why you're turning into the terror of the traditionalists, San." Albus smiled. "Even my grandfather doesn't defend muggles as much as you do."

"I just like to enjoy the best of both worlds."

"There's something I can't match." Lily pulled herself away from her girlfriend and stood up. She did a little stretching. "Are you hungry? I'll make some sandwiches."

"Okay." Albus smiled at his younger sister and watched her walk toward the kitchen. Then he touched his friend's shoulder. "So? How was your workout on vacation?" He asked, whispering.

"A nightmare." Santana also answered in a low tone. "I thought a million times about running away from Kohadjo. Even my father's visit didn't improve the situation."

"My dad said we'll have a safe year."

"It may even be, Al, but until when? Your dad doesn't know where Evans is. No one knows what that idiot is doing or who he is with."

"Everything indicates that it is with Blaise Zabini."

"That doesn't make any difference." Santana shifted uneasily. "I still have a nightmare because of that day. Evans could have killed me there if he really wanted."

"Forget it, San."

"I can't."

"Look... you were terrific that day. Who can fight with a broken arm? And you did put a lot of fight against those death eaters. You should be proud."

"Pride won't save anyone."

"You don't have to save the world." Albus grabbed Santana's arm, trying to secure her.

"I don't want to save the world. I just want to live my life in peace."

"But you and all of us will only have peace if you win."

"It turns out I don't know if this is true."

Santana rose from the sofa and stared at Albus with a frown. Albus was another one to put weight on her shoulders, and Santana was getting tired of it. Again thoughts about running away came to her mind. Santana went into the kitchen and watched Lily finish assembling three sandwiches. She smiled at her girlfriend, who decided to call for the magic to end the meal. Lily walked over to Santana, wrapped her arms around her waist and pulled her to a brief kiss on her lips.

"How about snack and then just cuddle like those sticky couples?"

"It's a great idea."

Lily pulled Santana for a longer kiss. She wasn't silly. She heard all of Santana's conversation with Albus. But, unlike her brother, she would do her best to ease the burden of responsibility her girlfriend could feel. She thought the best way to do this was to be herself. Lily couldn't be more right.


	11. Year 6 - part 2

From guest: :I really liked this chapter, who is a bit more lighter than the precedent. It's great to follow the two journeys of Santana and San. I'm still astonished how much details you give and how much this story is well-writed. I loved the cute moment with Lily at the end. I am impatient to see their sixth year. Please keep going :)

 _Hello! Thank you for your attention and for your enjoyment of reading. I think the Harry Potter Universe is very rich and so we need to study a little more and respect it. The details are the consequence. But that doesn't stop from creating other things and theories. You'll see some of these other things in this chapter._

…

…

At the end of the season, Quinn Fabray watched the scene between students and parents. She could see the clan embracing their kids: Lily was hugging Ginny and Harry Potter, as well Hugo was saying goodbye to Hermione and Ron Weasley. Quinn saw Santana and Rachel also hugging their mother, Shelby Corcoran, and she was so jealous. Some of the students had depressed and even angry expressions, others were excited for another year at Hogwarts. Most were just average teenagers who didn't care about politics, ideological or cultural discussions. What mattered most to them was to survive school, studies, and small personal dramas. The pain of a rejection of love interest, or an unexpected low grade, could be far more painful than a mass murder in Paris. Journalism has a kind of theory about it, right? Wasn't that news value, which said that everything that was nearer was more relevant than what happens in other places? Yes, Quinn read something like that in one of the books she found in Athena's apartment. What happens on your street is much more important than what happens on the street in another country. Therefore, what happens to you will always be seen as a priority.

"You'll be fine." Athena encouraged her protégée. "Hogwarts is..."

"... one of the least safe places in the world!" Quinn added irritably. "What a joke!"

"It's not perfect, but it's the best we have. You're going to be all right, girl. Don't worry."

Quinn walked reluctantly through the station and entered the espresso. She looked for a place to stay undisturbed, but it was difficult. She had no more money to buy a booth to call her own, she wasn't even sure if she had any friends after a year of isolation, plus the fact that she had been an informer that had shared knowledge for the investigations commanded by Harry Potter. Quinn looked for a "nicer" wagon. Maybe some with many new students. She crossed a cab wagon, bumping almost constantly into students, teachers, and the staff. She avoided peeking the doors of the cabins to find out who was holding them. She opened the next wagon access door. It was the last before the "regular" passenger carriage, where she thought she could sit alone and spend the rest of the journey in peace.

"Look who's here." Quinn saw Kitty Wilde and two other girls following her down and up. They stopped in front of Quinn in an unfriendly way. It was understandable, since Kitty's father, Hildon Wilde, was also in jail.

"Nice to see you, Kitty." Quinn tried to get the impression she didn't care about the girls. "Minions..." She referred to the other two.

"How do you feel?" Kitty asked and Quinn knew this was the preparation for some kind of attack.

"Very well, thank you."

"As I imagined." Kitty forced a sly smile. "Rats feel fulfilled after the betrayal."

"It must be because of this." Quinn corrected her posture, nosebleed. Fabray's pride might have been Russell's best inheritance. She would never give a damn to the enemy, especially after all the trauma she suffered.

"You know what we do with rats?"

Kitty signaled to the two girls, who jumped in surprise at Quinn. They pushed her hard against one of the walls of the espresso, hurting the shoulder and the side of the skull because of the impact. Quinn still tried to reach for her own wand. There was no time. She was thrown to the floor next and received a peck of Kitty right in the pit of her stomach.

"Rats are squashed." Kitty looked down at Quinn, and continued on her way to the cabin, ignoring the looks of the students coming out of the wagon cabins that were drawn to the little mess.

One of these people was Finn Hudson. Acting like a gentleman he thought he was, he went to his colleague and offered her his hand. Quinn accepted even for not being able to reject any affectionate gesture that could obtain for herself. She got up and bent forward feeling the blow. Quinn held on to Finn to stand, took a deep breath, and straightened her posture, trying to ignore the pain.

"Are you ok?"

"I'm fine!" She snapped just to regret the next second.

"Why don't you go into my cabin to sit down and drink some water?"

"You don't have to. I am fine."

"What a load of shit." Quinn knew the voice behind her. "Stop being the proud stoic for a second and accept the giant's proposal."

"I don't need his charity, Lopez, or yours."

"I disagree. Besides... "Santana approached Quinn and Finn. "I'll need you."

Santana signaled into the very cabin she shared with Lily, Rachel, and Hugo, who accompanied everything from the door. Quinn accompanied Santana, bringing Finn with her. They sat in the armchairs. Hugo, Rachel and Quinn on one side, Lily, Santana and Finn on the other. The awkward silence hung in the air.

"Does anyone accept chocolate frogs?" Hugo opened the package and the enchanted thrush jumped on top of Lily, who quickly managed to catch it and handed back to his cousin.

"This year's going to be intense," Finn commented, making Santana roll her eyes.

"Nobody asked you to split a word, Hudson!" Santana grumbled.

"No, San, Hudson is right. That's why we need to stay together, like an army," Lily said. "Like Dumbledore's Army, founded by my father and co-led by my mother along with Uncle Nell."

It was Quinn's turn to roll her eyes. If there was anything she hated in the Potters and Weasleys it was the pride they thought they could cultivate for the leadership role and prominent resistance they had in the second wizarding war. Santana also wanted to do the same, but she had learned to control herself so as not to cause unnecessary friction with her girlfriend.

"At least we're at peace," Rachel replied. "Wasn't your father and your aunt who became heroes again for having disarticulated all the extremist groups that were operating in the UK?"

"My father is working to avoid the prophecy, but we can't forget that Samuel Evans is outlawed." Lily recalled the fundamental detail. "As long as he isn't trapped, the danger hasn't passed at all."

"We don't have to do any army, Lily," Santana snapped. "But, of course, we need to be united because there are a lot of angry people out there, not to mention that jerk. We still don't know if we get rid of all of Hogwarts' death eaters projects."

"Everyone I knew was trapped, Santana," Quinn informed her. "Most were sons of rich families who was forced into this life as I was. And there were also people who attended Blaise Zabini's cult. People like Evans."

"And what did you do with those guys?" Finn was curious.

"I only met them on two occasions at Hogwarts, in a kind of secret meeting. Samuel Evans and another were the only ones wearing masks, but we could recognize him by his voice. The first meeting was basically to introduce myself to the group, the second was to plan the attack on Santana. I volunteered because it was the way I found it so I wouldn't let Santana get killed."

Santana wanted to make a clever remark, but she remembered very well the day of the attack and that Quinn really saved her, when one of the junior death eaters disarmed her and mobilized her.

"Why do you care so much about her?" Lily asked with a jealous tone.

"It's better to endure the mediocrity of the clan than an age of darkness."

"I never thanked you for that day, Fabray." Santana finally spoke after the discussion. "Just don't think I've forgotten everything you did to me last year. For the good and for the bad. We're allies, but I can't tell if we're friends again."

Quinn nodded. She entered the express thinking she would have to face another year of solitude, but the result wasn't so bad. She was perfectly aware that regaining friendship with Santana and the others would take some time. But that alliance was a good start.

...

The cold in the middle of the forest was one of those that popularly said to hurt to the bone. Despite this, Samuel was bare-chested. The pants he wore were damp and his feet drenched by an imbalance that made him fall into the creek near the mansion. But he needed to continue. It was between kill or die. There was no other choice but two: either he would complete the rite or he would be killed by the Order. It was dark and foggy. Conjuring lumos maximum did little good in that circumstance. His lungs burned, her skin burned from the cold, he could feel his hands numb. It was the beginning of hypothermia, and Samuel wasn't sure how long he could last. He tried to ignore the weather and focus only on his goal.

He ran inland toward the sanctuary he was supposed to find. The race was an artifice so that it would not freeze, to continue moving was a matter of life and death, however much his legs burned from the effort.

He slipped on the marshy ground formed down the river. He fell backwards, hurting the side of his back at the impact. It's all messed up. The wand slipped out of his hand. It was dark, very cold. He touched the nearby ground. He needed to find the wand.

"Accio wand," he tried.

Nothing.

Samuel punched the ground and then twisted around for a stone. He shouted as loudly as he could. He needed to release her frustration. He felt cold, his long, blond hair was wet and muddy, his skin burned and itched. He knelt down and swallowed the cry. He touched the nearby ground once more, more calmly. He managed to find the wand. He got up and conjured.

"Calidum."

Samuel felt a comforting heat wave through her body. It was a useful spell for the circumstances, but it didn't last long. The sensation passed after a few minutes. The masters said that casting such a spell frequently within a short space of time could cause the individual to burn from the inside out. But it was enough for Samuel to feel refreshed and to resume the journey.

He tried to move away from the marshy ground, following the course of the river further afield. He needed to find it as soon as possible. The going itself depended on it.

"Lumos maxima."

It gave a brief glimmer through the forest. Enough to provoke the reaction of some animals that were nearby. And from the sound of his neighing, Samuel knew that the target was near. He held the wand and walk cautiously and try to approach slowly. In the midst of the fog, the faint light of the crescent moon that penetrated a small gap in the middle of the forest, there were three of them.

Samuel bent down and looked at the three unicorns. They were magnificent animals, which seemed to emanate a soft glow of their own that rose from within the white coat. The horn was elegant, majestic, the back so magnificent that any horse dear to race would look like a not-so-noble animal. There was a smaller, still golden unicorn. A puppy. It was the first time that Samuel had seen unicorns so closely and he realized he could cry. In fact, Samuel would cry just thinking about what he was about to do.

Unicorns were animals that accepted the feminine touch more, so he had to be patient. It was revealed to the animals that they reacted restlessly but didn't move away. Samuel remained motionless. He was barely breathing. Inside, he could feel his own heart contracting against the rib cage. He had to be patient and cried. But it was cold, very cold. He felt his hands go numb again. It was hypothermia that would threaten him.

He thought for a second: What if? What if he gave up everything and went back to the mansion? He would be dead. That's what Blaise Zabini said. The test was kill or die. If he succeeded, he would have great power in his hands. Otherwise, he would either die at the hands of the Order or nature would take charge. The Order... was cold, hands numb, back pain, dirt, moisture.

Samuel pulled the dagger from his belt. He dropped his gun against his body and was quiet. When he thought the animals were ignoring him, he took a step forward. He needed to be patient, he couldn't just run because unicorns were too fast and he would miss the chance. He couldn't use magic to trap some because those animals were immune to magic traps. Samuel needed to gain confidence. The younger one approached. He seemed curious with the presence of the human who didn't move. The larger unicorn whinnied, but it was as if the cub didn't heed the warning.

Poor puppy.

Samuel's blow was precise, from the bottom up, tearing part of the puppy's neck. The three unicorns ran. Samuel ran. He tried to go back. He could follow the blood odour. Yes, he could do it. It was strong and at the same time sweet, like a perfume. He found the staggering cub. It couldn't run away any longer. It was weak. It's parents seemed distressed, not knowing if they would save their lives or fight. The female rose. Samuel was frightened, but he couldn't turn back. He ran toward the family and startled the animals by burning a tree. The adults went, the golden cub was left behind.

Samuel knelt down. He took the dagger and opened its throat. He took a deep breath. The moment had come. He leaned over the body of the magical creature and sucked the blood. He allowed the sacred liquid, which would give him conditions to overcome death, to cure him. The feeling was extraordinary, like the impact of a drug on a first-time user. If he knows...

Samuel lay down beside the body of the little unicorn. His face was completely covered with blood. But he felt great. There was no more cold or weariness. Just the feeling that he could embrace the world.

It was done. There was no turning back. Samuel had completed the rite of entry for the Order. Now he belonged to the darkness, and the darkness was his.

...

"What are you doing here, Lopez? You're off the team."

Kitty said with a sly smile on her lips. Her arms were crossed and she was ahead of the rest of the Slytherin remnants of the previous year, plus some new players. Santana was astonished. She was wearing her Quidditch uniform and held the brand-new Firebolt. Beside her, Quinn tried to maintain her usual stoic stance, but the truth that she was ready to punch Kitty at the first opportunity.

"You can't kick me out of the team. Malfoy named me captain when he graduated, as is the tradition of our house. I command the team and I say who's in and who's out, Wilde." Santana was making a big effort not to hit the petulant third-year girl.

"Unless most of the rest of the team thinks differently," Kitty snapped. "And the team thinks differently, especially because they think back... there."

"Fabray is the best seeker of Hogwarts."

"She can't play with us!"

"She's released to do any extracurricular activity."

"You can even play, Lopez." Kitty remained steady ahead of the rest. "You may even be captain, as Malfoy pointed out. But Fabray doesn't play on the same team as us."

"What are you talking about? You are the one who cheated!" Santana was a step away from losing all her cool. "You were kicked out of the team because you cheated. In fact, you're just an untalented player trying to make up for the power lost after her pedophile supremacist father was arrested."

"Lopez." Netunus tried to argue. "At least Wide was never a death eater. Fabray already... she's one of them that tried kill you. I'm very happy that you are our captain this year, but we can't admit Fabray to this team."

"San..." Quinn took her friend's arm. "Don't worry about it. Whether I play or not, it won't make difference."

"It'll do for me." Santana continued to speak firmly, directly to Kitty and the rest of the team. "Of course, you would expect that kind of attitude from this basilisk, but from you, Netunus. And from you, Goyles. We were a team before this beast arrived. Me, you, Fabray, Malfoy... the best Slytherin team in years. We won the last two cups. And how can you stand next to a player who was kicked out for cheating? What morality do you have to talk about Fabray?"

"I never wanted to attack you, Lopez." Wilde countered. "I never wanted your death, even now when everyone knows you've never been one of us for real."

"What are you talking about?" Santana frowned.

"The prophecy has leaked, Lopez," Netunus explained with some caution. "Everyone knows you should have been chosen for Gryffindor. There are some colleagues in our house who think you should be out."

That fight seemed to have deeper impasses. Santana and Quinn could see some remorse in Joanna Thompson and Netunus Black, but not in the Goyle brothers. The twins had family members arrested in the operation commanded by Harry Potter. The information leaked to the press over the holidays, but it was a detail no one thought could make any difference, but the proud Slytherins.

"I always honoured our house," Santana said through gritted teeth. "Much more than most of you."

"The team voted, Lopez." Netunus said helplessly. He was desperate to end that discussion. "We don't play with a big toe. Either she or us. You choose."

Santana shook her head, not believing what was happening. She closed her eyes for a second, then pressed her lips together. She exchanged glances with Quinn, took her partner's hand, and turned her back on the rest of the team. She was out. That year, Hogwarts would send a team to Koldovstoretz, Russia. Oliver Wood would train the team alone, since Ginny Potter declined the invitation, and Santana's call was taken for granted. But from the moment she turned her back on the team, she knew she had missed the chance. That she had given up the extracurricular activity she loved most at Hogwarts. Santana had consciously done the right thing, but that didn't mean she was happy about it. Quinn and Santana walked back to the castle without talking. Silence was always the best option at a time when anger was at the top of her skin. Santana let go of Quinn's hand and walked three steps ahead.

"San, wait..." Quinn narrowed her pace to reach her colleague. "I appreciate what you've done for me..."

"Quinn!" Santana pulled her arm. "Just leave me alone."

She spent the afternoon sulking, trying to avoid the people she liked, who weren't so many at Hogwarts. Sometimes, she thought what it was like to be on the "dark side of the force." How was Samuel Evans doing what he wanted as he pleased? What if she allowed herself to do as she pleased? To begin with, she would have humiliated Kitty Wilde and retaken the leadership of the team by force. After all, regardless of any prophecy, she was Santana Lopez, the girl who was the terror of Hogwarts. It was so much easier when students ran from her through the corridors. Why did she have to be good? Maybe she didn't have to be the chosen one all the time.

Santana went to the Slytherin dormitory area. There weren't many girls at that time because most of the students were in the vicinity of the castle or in Hogsmeade to enjoy the sunny afternoon. Or they were doing some activity. Rachel, for example, was in the first session of the Muggle music choir. Santana saw the bedroom door of the third and fourth year old girls. She opened the door, which had no password, and took advantage of the empty place to sneeze. She identified Kitty's bed and smirked.

Santana thought she made a fine piece of art. She thought the spell and transfiguration teachers would be happy to know that the student was at least paying attention in class. Then, she left the bedroom and headed for the common room. She found Quinn there, as if she was anxious to talk.

"Are you better now?" Quinn asked, arching one eyebrow. Seeing her friend's reluctance, she gave a small smile. "I saw you in the dorm and I'm sure you were very... creative."

"I'm sure I just made this year even more complicated. But if you hear the cry I hope to hear, it will worth it."

"Good." Quinn scoffed. "You can always go to Gryffindor if things go wrong here."

"Why would I do that?"

"Isn't it your right house? Isn't that where you should be from the start? Shouldn't you have been twiddling your girlfriend since the first year? Besides, I heard that the dorms there are a lot better than ours. I wish I had that option."

"I wouldn't trade our beautiful dormitory for nothing." Santana gave a brief smile.

Quinn stared at her in silence, narrowing her eyes.

"Of course you would!"

"In a snap."

They were silent when Kitty and two other girls got in the communal room toward the Slytherin dormitories. Santana and Quinn tried to pretend to be indifferent. Santana counted the countdown in her mind and punched the air in celebration when she heard the scream she was waiting for. She blinked at Quinn and ran with her wand in her hands. Quinn headed back. They got in the bedroom and saw Kitty snorting: much of the room was broken as if everything were made of glass.

"We heard screams!" Quinn said with dissimulation. "What happened?"

"This is your doing and hers!" Kitty shouted.

"It's indeed a piece of art. It's not easy to make transfiguration for glass, you know?" Santana replied.

"Aren't you going to deny it?" One of the minions was impressed.

"For what? And take the risk of someone stealing the authorship of my deed?"

Kitty tried to attack Santana by surprise, but was easily defended. Quinn advanced on the other two girls, to make sure they didn't interfere with the fight that was already won. While Quinn conjured a rope that caught the two girls, Santana conjured an attack that made Kitty fly behind the bedroom. Then, she calmly walked over to the younger girl.

"Stay with the team if you want, Wilde. Report me to Chang or to Thompson, get me the rest of the year in detention. It's fine by me. I deserve it. But know that this is the last time you act behind my back. If you do it against me or against the people I care about, I swear I'll send you to St. Mungos next time." Santana turned her back to Kitty, dropping her to the ground. Quinn released the other two girls and accompanied her friend.

At the end of the day, as expected, Santana and Quinn were warned to meet with Professor Flora Carrow, Slytherin's head. Flora had assumed the position of part-time teacher after Horacio's retirement. Before it, she taught History of Magic, where she used to teach with the slightly favourable view of the Slytherin philosophy. The conversation lasted five minutes. Santana simply took over everything she did and won the punishment: a month without the right to go to Hogsmeade and clean the greenhouse three times a week. Santana thought it was a profit: a month passed in the blink of an eye.

At the end of the day, after dinner, and trying to ignore the whispers and notes coming from Slytherin, Santana and Quinn gathered in the dormitory. Even with Quinn back to the bedroom, Santana didn't share space with her again. She rather stays with Rachel. But Quinn was immediately beside her, occupying the only single unit in the dormitory, the most secluded space no one really wanted.

"You have to handle it, San," Rachel warned, still whispering to her sister. "It's too early to fight and you know you can't."

"It's not written anywhere that I need to have cockroach blood."

"I know, Kitty is an idiot. Only you can make things very difficult for all of us if we continue like this." Rachel insisted.

Santana glanced at her sister and shook her head.

"You really are a Slytherin, are not you?"

"When did that become a problem?" Rachel countered.

"I don't know." Santana sat up in bed after organizing her stuffs. She didn't want to confess even to herself, but she was feeling more and more uncomfortable about staying in the green and silver house, as if her Gryffindor's nature would begin to claim space. "Go to sleep, okay?"

Santana watched Rachel settle in and the lights went out. She looked from the other side of the wall and saw that Quinn was also settled on the bed. All the girls in the dormitory were settling down. Santana waited. When she realized that the silence had taken over the environment, she took the wand and whispered.

"Protego maxima."

A bluish glow wrapped around Rachel's and Rachel's bedroom, extending to Quinn's. Only then she lay her head on the pillow and sleep.

...

"You must be able to distinguish what is good from what is done by impure hands."

Blaise Zabini handed Samuel a glass of wine. The apprentice, as he was taught, tasted the scent and then sipped some of the red liquid. A small smile appeared on his lips caused by the sensation of pleasure and well-being. The wine flowed gently down her throat, a taste that seemed to have been made to measure for him.

"This wine is spectacular. I've never tasted anything like this before."

Blaise smiled and, with his elegant gestures, pointed the way to one of the wizards who was present at the party.

"Apollon Lars-Brion. His family run the world's most prestigious winery in Bordeaux since 1423. They have two production lines. The noblest harvest is destined for us, while the second material is industrialized for Muggles. The Lars-Brions are purebred wizards of one of the oldest lineages in France."

"Why would purebred wizards do business with filthy muggles?" Samuel questioned.

"Because not all domination has to do with brute force. The Lars-Brions were the first among us to understand that Muggle ignorance and fear are the most lethal things in the world. They decided to meet the enemy and even do business with them, but they kept the house untouched, you know? Pure."

Samuel frowned, not understanding the relationship very well. He correctly interpreted that when Zabini said that the traditional French family remained pure, it meant that they didn't mix with muggles or half-bloods of the first and second generation. But the idea was that they kept a lucrative business with muggles. Zabini pulled Samuel toward Apollon Lars-Brion and introduced them. The businessman extended his hand to the 16 years-old young man and greeted him with a firm, direct handshake. Apollon was a middle-aged man who cultivated a well-designed Musketeer goatee, black hair, wavy, hairstyle back. He wore a flawless dark grey suit, waistcoat and bow tie.

"Mr. Evans has tasted what a true wine means." Zabini reported in order to properly introduce a conversation between the two.

"Oh yeah. I have never tasted anything so good in my life." Samuel responded with the expected youth, eliciting a short laugh from the Frenchman.

"I hope so, young man. Our effort is for that purpose."

"Pure aeternum always," Zabini said.

"Et aeterna puritate." Samuel and Lars-Brion answered at the same time. Then they looked at each other in amazement.

Pura aeternum semper (the pure is eternal) is the motto of the Order. The answer, Et aeterna puritate (and the eternal is purity) is the codified answer that the members of the Order give the phrase and thus are able to identify themselves.

"Oh!" Lars-Brion raised his hand to Samuel's shoulder. "It's nice to know that someone so young has a privileged view of our world."

"Thank you, sir." Samuel nodded politely. "But can I ask you a question?"

"Of course! Ever!"

"You destine the best wine for us. But why do you sell it to Muggles too?"

Lars-Brion smiled. He picked up a glass of his own wine and sipped.

"Capital. The much-discussed capital is what moves the whole world. We need capital to be able to make our ideologies viable. Like it or not, the biggest capital in the world is not between us, but with Muggles. What do you see at this party, young man?"

Samuel looked around. Zabini had taken him out of the mansion and taken him on a trip near Copenhagen. After a brief tour of the wizarding area of the city, smaller than Diagon Alley, master and pupil attended a party in an old renovated castle. All the way, Zabini didn't explain to the pupil the real reason to be there. He didn't take such a careful note to know that this was a wizarding party. Garments, objects, and gestures made everything very clear. What had more to be observed? Well, they were all very well dressed there, and no one could be seen there with commoners, except himself. There were few older women. Most of the women were young. With a little more attention, he was able to recognize Pietro Savannah, one of the best chasers of all time in the Spanish team, who had made his farewell with a professional player in the last World Cup defeated by Peru.

"Are they all thoroughbreds? From various parts of the world?"

"Almost!" Lars-Brion pointed at the elders. "He is experiencing here the main European social gathering of the wizarding business. Some people are discussing business and closing partnerships. But we all also met to discuss politics and alliances. Understand, young man, that there are people here who advocate different ideologies. And there are us, representatives of the most select Order of wizards in the world. Your master knows very well that we need to be privy to all the discussions to put together our strategies to make a better society. Ever. Therefore, try to pay attention to what you hear here, identify other brothers. Your master will introduce you to some of them, I'm sure. Learn. Our Order has always formed important leaders around the world. Everyone started young like you. Those who were arrogant failed. Those who have heard, have triumphed."

"Why are there so many young women here and few older ones?" Samuel asked, eliciting a smile from both of them. "Older women are here as dealers. Some younger ones, and you will be able to differentiate them if you look closely, are apprentices, like you. Others are not pure, and for this very reason have only one purpose."

Samuel caught the message only by the malicious grin of the two older men. In the midst of so much training, the master would also be able to provide some fun. It had been some time since Brittany and he broke up. Maybe it was time to restart the game. In addition, remembering the words of his best friend, he had to keep practicing until the arrival of the main prize. Samuel could hardly wait.

...

"Fucking Merlin!" Santana grunted for the umpteenth time as she carried a wheelbarrow full of manure. "If this doesn't prove that Professor Longbottom still hates me, then I don't know anything else about this world."

"Santana girl needs to train her muscles."

"And the elf Simons needs to stop giving his opinion once in a while." Santana countered to the old-known elf who accompanied her on the task inside the stove. "Not to mention that I spent my holidays working out muscles at the behest of that crazy auror." She grunted.

Santana climbed with the wheelbarrow to the ramp, crunched the pitch, and dumped the prepared earth into the cement box into the greenhouse Neville used as a container to facilitate his own work both in class and in maintaining the stove. Santana hated that place. She hated Neville's lessons because the teacher implied with her while always protecting Finn Hudson. It took a long time without understanding the reason, until the previous year was very enlightening about the behaviour of many of the teachers with her.

She had gotten only "acceptable" as a herbology note in the O.W.L tests and, for that reason, was no longer accepted as a student in the discipline. Not that she thought it was bad. It was laborious enough to have to do the disciplines in which she got "exceptional" tests: transfiguration, spells, defence against the dark arts and Muggle studies. Santana still got "exceeded expectations" in portions, history of magic and astronomy. She chose not to continue astronomy or muggle studies, because she already had too many O.W.L. level classes. In addition to herbology, Santana was mediocre in ancient runes, arithmancy, and dealings with magical creatures. She couldn't go on with these matters, but at least she didn't have to repeat them. Santana got "poor" in divination and didn't do it anymore. For Santana, not having to step on her feet in divination classes was a joy, since she had a horror of prophecies.

"Satisfied?" She turned to the friendly elf who used to accompany her on the punishments.

"I believe your task was fulfilled today, Santana girl."

"Thanks to Merlin! I can't wait to have a shower."

"Really? Seeing you that way, it's interesting." Lily get in the greenhouse with a suggestive smile on her face.

"Really?" Santana completely ignored the elf and walked over to her girlfriend and kissed her.

"Kissing you so sweaty is only funny when I'm in the same condition." Lily grimaced and Santana pretended to be outraged.

"Simon, time to apparate." Santana waited for the house-elf to disappear and then smirked. "I can fix this right now."

Santana held Lily's wrist firmly and pulled her close to the earthen tank. She grabbed a handful and rubbed the ground across her girlfriend's arm, starting at the shoulder. Lily cried indignantly as Santana laughed at the little prank. Lily, always with a competitive spirit, soon wanted to reciprocate and a little war began between squeals and laughter.

"I surrender!" Santana raised her hands. She was completely dirty, messy hair and all dirty face. Lily wasn't better. "Now that we are in the same condition..."

Lily pulled her girlfriend by the tie and kissed her. In a strange way, the chosen one had excited her. She didn't think about it the moment she got lost in the lips, saliva and tongue of her girlfriend. The fact was that Lily began to feel such desires and needs more and more intensely, to the point of enjoying the privilege of a single room to know her own body. She thought about talking to Melissa Brown about it. Her friend had confided that she had first intercourse during her summer vacation with Bail Onyo, and that it was a strange experience in her own words. But was Lily prepared for the next step? Was Santana prepared for the next step? Lily didn't know if Santana was talking about it with her friends. Who would Santana talk to about sex? With Brittany? They weren't closer anymore. With Quinn? They had just come together again, and Lily knew full well that Quinn's betrayal was still an unresolved issue. She thought it was the right thing to talk about with her girlfriend. What lacked was a certain amount of courage.

Meanwhile, Santana was kissing her, and Lily felt her legs limp, the electricity on her skin, and a certain moisture that kept appearing in her center. She wanted to touch there so bad. Better: she wanted to be touched there by Santana so bad. Santana raised her hand and let her naughty thumb brush intentionally at the side of Lily's bosom. This made Lily even more receptive to the caress, longing for more. In a moment of bravado, she took Santana's hand and led her to her breast, causing her girlfriend to break the kiss.

"Lil? Here?"

"I like it." She justified her face blushing and 'taught' her girlfriend to touch her.

Santana nodded and sought to be a good student, and also to follow her own instincts. Santana, unlike Lily, never had the chance to be alone and to truly explore the senses of her own body. She wanted to learn, to explore, she even saw some videos on internet when she went to New York and touch herself in the shower after that, but she was too afraid to go further. Hence the hesitation and surprise that Lily was so much more confident about the senses and pleasures. Santana tried to read her girlfriend's reactions as she continued her caress.

"Do you like this?" Santana wanted to make sure she was doing it right.

"Santana girl!" Simon suddenly apparated, who was frightened and broke all the mood in the process.

"Simon!" Santana was annoyed. "I told you to apparate to another place!"

"The professor Neville is coming."

Santana finally took a good look at the greenhouse: it was a mess, with soil scattered on the floor that, whether she like it or not, is usually clean. The chosen one panicked knowing she would not have time to clean without using magic. Neville went into the greenhouse with Finn, and they met the girls covered of dirt, with filthy ground, a fallen plant pot, and a house-elf disappearing. On one side was perplexity, on the other, embarrassment.

"I guess that's not what Professor Carrow meant when she told you to help clean the greenhouses."

"Sorry, Professor." Lily stepped forward. "It was my fault. Santana had arranged everything and I... dropped one of the plants."

"So you're not going to bother cleaning up all by yourself, Lily?"

"Professor, Lily wasn't to blame..."

"Lopez, I believe your task is over. You can go."

"But professor, I can help…"

"Now, Lopez."

"Yes sir."

Santana looked at her girlfriend as if apologizing before leaving the greenhouse. She stood outside the doorway, waiting for Neville and Finn to leave. She heard the scolding that her girlfriend got without deserving. Waited for someone to leave and this was fair Neville. The professor stopped the door, looked at Santana, and shook his head.

"You have too many responsibilities to get involved with banal school messes, Lopez."

"With my probable end, do you think these trivial messes are so bad?"

Neville looked at her admiringly. How could she? He remembered Harry Potter: the previous chosen one got into trouble, broke rules, but his motives were never considered banal: Voldemort was always on his trail one way or another. Santana, on the other hand, it was as if she put too much energy into being a troublemaker without cause. At least, it was how Neville saw it.

"Just be careful with Lily, Lopez. She is special. Don't involve her in your mess."

"I'm trying…"

"Ok. I'm going to my office and you can come back to help your girlfriend."

"Thank you, sir."

Santana watched the professor went to a shack among the greenhouses, where it was the office he was referring to. Neville was the only school professor whose office was outside the castle. Hagrid didn't count because he didn't teach at Hogwarts anymore, even though he continued to live in his old hut, on the edge of the forbidden forest.

Santana went back into the greenhouse and saw her girlfriend with a broom in her hands while Finn arranged the plant that had fallen in the middle of the game.

"Herb flux." Finn pointed to the plant almost as if that was all he had to say. "Did you know that if it is harvested on a full moon night, it can be used to make polyjuice portion?"

"This portion wasn't forbidden?" Lily asked before hugging her girlfriend aside and kissing her quickly on the cheek. Santana took another broom and shovel to help with the cleaning.

"Indeed." Finn confirmed. "She was banned from the current textbooks, but I found an old, 1960s edition that had the formula."

"So what?" Lily was curious, as Santana swept the land she began to spread first.

"You never thought of going through anyone? Ever thought if you can get past Thompson to play Quidditch next weekend?"

Santana paused for a moment. Was Finn Hudson seriously offering to prepare a polyjuice portion for her to play? She would think it would be a trap if Finn hadn't become an ally.

"What an idiotic idea! It could only come from your head, Hudson."

"You really think so?" Lily asked.

"I guess!" Santana said firmly. "It would be idiotic to play what I know just to cherish someone mediocre like Thompson and make her climb to the Hogwarts team this year. If you're going to use this kind of portion, you better have it for something that might actually be worth it."

"Thinking this way..." Finn finished tidying up the plant. "Although I wouldn't mind if you played with the Puffs."

"So desperate?" Santana teased.

"I confess that I am. Apart from Bloom, no one really looked good this year. I'm sure we're going to get beat up in the first game against Gryffindor."

"So it's the case that you take the portion of polyjuice to take the place of someone like Bail or Lion, and play what you know." Santana smiled.

"Don't give an idea to the enemy, San," Lily warned.

"I really am a failure in Quidditch, is not it?" Finn leaned against the edge of the ground tank.

"Yes!" Santana answered in the can.

"No!" Lily said at the same time and her girlfriends looked at each other. "Maybe you're in the wrong position."

"Or the wrong activity," Santana added. "The only decent thing I saw you doing was playing drums. You're a negation playing Quidditch, but you can be an ok musician, I think."

Finn was thoughtful. Maybe Santana was right. He was a bad captain of a team that hadn't won a game in three years. On the other hand, he loved music and loved playing drums. He thought of the muggle music chorus and the fact that the group was forever begging for new members. Finn gave a push and walked toward the greenhouse exit.

"Where are you going, Hudson?" Santana asked, noting the colleague's sudden attitude.

"I need to think about it."

...

Santana waited for the prefect go away to sneak into the private room she was targeting. She wondered how great it would be if she had the cloak of the invisibility of the Potter family: the only surviving deathly hallow, once the elder wand was broken and the resurrection stone was lost. If Santana had such a remarkable object, it would be much simpler to cross to reach the set of prefects' dormitories without being caught. She achieved her goal and, according to the combination, wasted no time in hitting. She opened the door and found the room empty. That part was also in the script.

Lily's room was small, like the other prefects, with enough space for a single bed, a mute bed, and a two-door closet. The furniture didn't leave much room to spare. Some mayors relinquished the private room to stay in the dorms, especially the Hufflepuff ones. It was said that their collective dormitory system was much cozier than those tiny spaces. In many ways, the yellow and black house looked better than the others. The common room was better, like the dorms and the one that had the easiest access. The Slytherin prefects didn't hesitate to take their own dormitory.

Santana sat on her girlfriend's bed and waited like a good girl. After the 'incident' in the greenhouse, Santana and Lily planned to continue practicing new touches. Santana took a shower and even skipped the dinner so anxiously. The nearly fifteen minutes of waiting seemed like an eternity. She looked out the tiny window of the room, which had partial view of the forbidden forest and other castle towers. The landscape was still green, which was comforting for the chosen one: the winter had its beauty, but the cold used to make her angry.

Lily got in the room with her wet hair from the shower she had just taken. Santana's heart shot in anticipation. She found her girlfriend beautiful anyway, but especially liked the redhead's homemade and worldly look.

"How's it going?" Lily smiled. "Am I still attractive without all that dirt in my hair?"

"You're attractive anyway. If you showed up here now covered in mud, or soaked in rain, I'd be fascinated anyway."

"You are very stupid and clearly shortsighted. You should start wearing your glasses, Lopez!"

"Oh no! It would make me look nerdy and I couldn't scare anyone else." Santana didn't really need to wear glasses all the time. She was advised by a healer to wear reading glasses or use a potion to study. She chose the second option.

"San, you're a nerd in the closet!"

Lily hugged her girlfriend and tugged at her black hair that came down from shoulder height. She loved to make the simple gesture. Lily thought her girlfriend's hair was so beautiful, silky. She found it irresistibly charming that Santana was a troublemaker who didn't mind breaking the rules, but also a very feminine girl, who didn't dispense with small vanities, such as taking care of her hair, her skin, her appearance. Santana, for her part, loved Lily's red hair in a cut that gave her a long fringe, always set aside. It was elegant and modern at the same time. Santana loved the fact that Lily was tough and determined, even if sometimes she could be cocky and arrogant. But there were other circumstances that she showed the fragile side that could make Santana's heart melt.

Those two young women were there, hugging each other, kissing in the small room with a narrow window, about to discover other senses that love provided. Lily, more determined than her girlfriend in this respect, took off her blouse and pulled Santana to sit on the bed.

"Lil?" Santana's eyes widened when she saw her girlfriend's free breasts for the first time.

"It's okay." Lily took her girlfriend's hand and led it to her breast. "Remember how you touched me this afternoon?" Santana nodded nervously. "Do you like touching me?"

"Yes!" Santana was getting a little nervous at the same time that she was fascinated. It was the natural apprehension of every girl when she saw something new.

"Can I touch you, too?"

Santana nodded a little hesitantly. Lily smiled encouragingly. She kissed her girlfriend on the lips, running behind her ear as her hands roamed her neck and shoulders. Lily broke the caress, tucked a strand of Santana's hair behind her ear, and took off her sweater, revealing Gryffindor's Grizzly blouse.

"It sounds like you're embracing your true house." Lily smiled.

"It was just a surprise to you."

"I like it, but this shirt have to go." She lifted her blouse and Santana raised her arms to ease.

Slowly, Lily returned to kiss the girlfriend as her hands worked on the clasp of her bra. If she'd stop to think, she'd been shocked by the initiative that was all hers. She paused for a moment to admire the freshly bare trunk: her light brown skin, her firm, slightly muscled abdomen, her breasts a little larger than hers, steady, her nipples erect in clear sign that her girlfriend, despite the nervousness, was also enjoying it. Lily touched Santana's breasts and they kissed each other again, still learning a little in confusion what was the best way to coordinate lips and hands. Soon they entered into a quiet and pleasant agreement.

Lying in bed, Lily more aware of her body's responses, she tried to be a little more daring. She put her hands on her girlfriend's face, which was kissing her neck and shoulders.

"Kiss me here." She directed her girlfriend to her breasts.

Santana, once again, try to follow her instincts. She first touched the tip of her tongue to her nipple and slowly began to suck lightly to kiss. Lily, excited and unrestrained, put her hand inside her panties and touched herself. The movement caught the attention of Santana who, fascinated, broke the kiss to observe Lily.

"What are you doing?"

Lily lifted her hip and pulled off the sweatpants she used to wear in her pajamas along with the panties, which had been ruined in moisture by that time. Santana caught her breath when she saw the girl lying next to her, completely naked.

"It's good to play here." Lily continued to run her fingertips with light pressure on her clit, showing her girlfriend how she please herself. Lily was so wet that her finger slipped easily up and down. "Have you ever touched yourself?"

"Once... in the shower… I tried after I saw… some videos." Santana blushed. "I… I've never alone these days…"

"Do you want to touch me? I show you how. Don't be afraid."

Santana just nodded. Lily kissed her girlfriend's fingers and placed them in her mouth, in a highly erotic gesture, before taking Santana's hand and leading her to her clit.

"Do so, circular motions. Try to be soft and firm." She quickly gasped when she realized how quickly Santana understood.

"Is this good?"

"Move a little faster... oh San... this is so much better than touching myself." Lily could no longer hold back some of the moans. Her breathing was uneven and she could feel a wave running through her body. "Put in... please... two fingers."

"But what if I hurt you?" That was something Santana never did to someone or to herself.

"You won't... I've done it myself... in this room... pretending it was you doing this to me." Lily shifted her position and lay on her back, spreading her legs, guiding Santana to position herself between them.

Santana hardly believed what was happening. She barely believed that she allowed herself to appreciate the open vagina. She was curious and exited. Her own underpants were ruined. Santana first touch her girlfriend sex with the tip of her fingers, exploring it as best as she could. It was so wet… and pink. And it was pulsing. As if it was almost an experiment, she pulled two fingers inside the girlfriend, feeling the walls, breaking the little resistance, the tight space. It was fascinating seeing Lily's body to arch in excitement. Lily was so wet that Santana was fascinated at how easily her fingers slipped in and out.

"Move fast, San…" Lily was also using her own hand in her clit to increase the pleasing.

Santana obeyed. Her left hand worked swiftly but gently. She felt Lily gasp, grabbing the sheets, the walls of her vagina pressed against her fingers until she heard her own name slip from her lips like a call. Lily took Santana's hand and demonstrated that it was time to slow down as the waves of orgasm clanged through her body. Definitely the real Santana was way better than the imaginary Santana.

"Are you okay?" Santana took both of her fingers away and watched with great curiosity the way Lily's body had intended seconds ago, and at that moment she seemed totally relaxed.

"I'm great!" Lily laughed. "Absolutely ready for another round."

Santana looked at her fingers and hesitantly smelled it and tasted her girlfriend's liquid. Secretly, she was afraid she didn't like either one or the other, but she didn't think it was bad. On the contrary, she kind of liked it.

"What did you think?"

Santana was startled by the question. She was so focused she didn't even notice Lily watching her all the time.

"You're perfect." Santana smiled shyly. "I'd totally kiss you down there."

"Then kiss. I would also like to know how it would feel like."

"Are you sure?"

Lily spread her legs again, reaffirming the invitation. Santana repositioned herself, and found it kind of weird to do something she'd only seen in pornographic videos that she'd seen fast on the computer for fear of Rachel or Shelby catching her. She brushed a little away from her girlfriend's pubic hair (Lily cut them, but didn't really wax that region) and hesitantly put the tip of her tongue, just as she had done in her breasts minutes before. It felt good, especially as he felt Lily's hand caressing her hair. She looked up quickly and saw his girlfriend watching her with a calm expression. This encouraged her to finally kiss and suck on her clitoris, allowing herself to run her tongue over the length of her sex, to the entrance of the vagina and back to the starting point. She felt Lily gasp again, and that made her more determined.

"San... keep going." Lily tried to speak while she could still have some coherence. "Put your fingers back on."

Santana tried a new strategy. She continued to suck Lily's clit as she moved her fingers into her girl's vagina. Santana got in a bit of trouble at first, for lack of experience, but just like everything else, she soon managed to coordinate. Lily's second orgasm came faster, due to the stimulation and sensitivity of her body. When she finally relaxed, Lily pulled Santana to an erotic kiss on the lips. When she called her girlfriend to go to her private bedroom, Lily had plans to advance a base or two. The sexual act itself came naturally and she was happy about it. Her first time could not be better: feeling unequaled pleasure, for she had already gone through the pain of the first penetration on her own when she masturbated.

She was tired and happy. Still, Lily wanted to return the favour and introduce Santana to the same pleasure she felt. Without asking for permission, she took off her girlfriend's panties. Santana hardly believed how stimulated she was simply because she'd made sex to Lily.

"Can I?" Lily looked into Santana's eyes, which nodded. It was her turn to spread her legs.

Lily kissed Santana. She descended to her breasts and played with them a little while her right hand travelled south. Santana moaned immediately and realized how pleased her body could be. It was amazing. Lily was incredible and so uninhibited to try sex. When Santana had an orgasm for the very first time of her life, she closed her eyes and waited to be able to speak or breathe properly. When she opened my eyes again, she met Lily's green eyes staring at her with so much love that Santana almost forgot to breathe.

"I love you so much!" Lily said truly in love.

"I love you too." Santana answered. "I love you, Lilian Luna Potter II."

...

Lily picked up the quaffle and threw it against the Hufflespuffs goal, opening the game's scoreboard. She quickly celebrated flying near the side of the bleachers where she knew her girlfriend was watching the game. It wasn't news that Santana was in the audience watching Lily near the Gryffindors. What was different about this time was that Santana was just an ordinary spectator: one of the best chasers in recent Hogwarts history was there, confined to the bleachers with no team to play. Quinn was in the same condition.

"Your girl is handling it well," Quinn commented as she watched the game's dynamics in which Gryffindor dominated its opponent.

"Lily assured herself. I feel sorry for Hudson. All he needs is to play seeker to find out that he's really not good at Quidditch at all. How is he still on the team?"

"He's good at motivational conversations," Quinn said wryly.

"I think he plays well."

Quinn and Santana stared in bewilderment at Rachel's comment. The little diva was still quiet. She rarely attended the Quidditch games at Hogwarts. She used to stay with Hugo, singing at the top of her lungs while he played the piano. So yes, it was news to see Rachel watch a Quidditch game without Hugo and the so-called losers of the choir, especially Mercedes and Kurt. That's why Santana is suspicious of her sister's intentions.

Another score from Lily made Santana focus again on the game. She could read the movements of Gryffindor team perfectly and knew where the tactical design came from Ginny Potter. Lily was playing exactly like her mother in Holyhead Harpies. The style was very fast and could easily liquidate tactically and technically inferior teams such as Hufflepuff and even Slytherin, but it would hardly work against the Ravenclaws who, in Santana's view, were the only team that could threaten the Gryffindors that season.

Mike and Brittany were playing better than ever, not to mention the blue team found the dream team beaters: Blade Caldeñas and Lohanne Stone. The girl had a body of one who practiced weightlifting and was the first one in years to play as a beater. Girls seemed to have specialized as chasers or seekers. It was very rare to see girls as keepers or beaters at mixed teams.

As for the current game, Santana couldn't wait for it to end. She had plans to do with her girlfriend. Once she discovered how good the sex was, she and Lily tried to take advantage of the opportunities they had to practice it. Santana hoped so that Blaine Anderson, in a new position after Rose Weasley graduated, soon caught the gold snitch. End of first half. The Grense team was 70 points ahead of the board. Santana anticipated a massacre in the second half.

"Well we could do a performance in between breaks." Rachel watched. "Like in the Super Bowl. My choir could sing a song."

"Super Bowl?" Quinn asked.

"It's the final game of the football championship. Americans make it the sporting event of the year, you know? With mega-star music shows on the break and everything. Companies pay a fortune to launch new advertisements that day, there are movie trailers. It rains a lot of money."

"Curious." Quinn was indifferent. "I've never heard of it."

"I've never seen it myself either, because it happens while we're here at Hogwarts. But it's very difficult to go to the United States and not know what it is." Santana explained as the two teams were gathered on the pitch in the short break of the game. "It looks like it's starting over."

Finn scored. His first one in official games and he celebrated a lot. Rachel couldn't help herself. She got up and applauded as she had never done before, scaring her sister and colleague.

"Seriously Rach, did anything happen between you and the pimp?" Quinn was intrigued.

"We talked. Finn wants to attend the choir, play drums. This time it will be for real. We did a duet and it worked very well."

"For Merlin!" Santana rolled her eyes.

"But aren't you dating Hugo?" Quinn frowned.

"Of course." Rachel flustered. "So what? Finn and I just did a duet, that's all. I'm here supporting a fellow friend."

"Be careful what you do, Rach. Don't screw up Weasley. Whatever happens, be honest with Hugo."

"Come on, San. Whoever looks like this even seems like I want to break up with Hugo. That's not in the plans."

"Only I know you, Rachel Berry. You're obsessive when you want something. And if you want Finn as your partner in the duets, may Merlin help us. Just don't ruin things with Weasley because I don't want your actions to interfere with my relationship with Lily." Santana turned her attention to the game when she heard the whistle that marked an infraction due to a fault committed by Bail Onyo.

The game crawled into the fourth and last time. No seeker was able to catch the snitch, but the score was so wide in favour of Gryffindor that it wouldn't make the slightest difference. The trio went downstairs from the stands and waited for the bulk of the students to leave the arena for the castle. Some would stay on the lawn to enjoy the last few minutes of sunshine. Quinn went alone with the group, while Rachel waited to talk to Finn and say that despite the defeat, he played very well. Santana waited for her girlfriend.

Lily celebrated briefly with the team still out of the arena. She smiled when she saw Santana waiting for her and ran to kiss her.

"It was a great game, bae." Santana caught Lily's hand, interlacing her fingers as they walked along with the group. Santana still looked back and waved to Quinn and Rachel. She would talk to them again later.

"Thanks."

"Isn't she a great captain?" Melissa Brown was following the two at the time. Santana didn't like the girl. She thought she was a gossip and a fake chick, but she had to tolerate Melissa because she was her girlfriend's best friend.

"She's the best." Santana nodded, but didn't show any more sympathetic reactions to Melissa.

Many Gryffindors passed and greeted Lily. Many of them were sincere and seemed grateful for the victory. Santana felt the air of charging with the team. Maybe because they were really good even though they lost the last two finals for Slytherin. It was different in the green house in which the team was charged for the result, be it academic or sports. It made her ponder more and more about her true place, what she really was, and what she was supposed to be surrounded by. How much longer would it be worth casting protection spells every night before bed? How long would she endure the rejection of her own house? How long would she endure the threats? On the other hand, unlike Santana who became a Slytherin for a manipulation game, Rachel wore even the green. That's why Santana was afraid to move house and leave Rachel alone, paying for her own 'sins'.

"Hey? Santana to planet Earth!" Lily shook her girlfriend's arm.

"What?"

"I said that you could go celebrate with me in our common room and then... we can go to my room," she said suggestively.

"Or you could celebrate with your team and your friends and then meet at the entrance to the prefects' dorms. What do you think?"

"Are you sure? They won't mind. They know you're one of us."

"Lily, I already told you I don't feel comfortable with these things."

"I know, sorry. But is it too bad to see my girlfriend go to the house she really belongs to?"

"Yes and no. Lil."

"Okay, you don't have to explain it again."

Lily quickly kissed Santana on the lips before walking with the rest of the team to the traditional celebration. Santana slowed her pace. She let the group move on, chanting the house's victory song, celebrating the great performance of Lily and Bail. She saw when someone lifted Lily and put it on his shoulders. Santana was happy for her girlfriend, really.

Santana walked slowly down the corridors of the castle unhurriedly to reach the entrance to the prefect's dorms. She crossed the path with Brittany and Mike and nodded to the couple, but no one stopped to talk. It was moments when she remembered their friendship. Santana no longer thought of her as a girlfriend, but sometimes she was homesick for the friend Brittany was. She continued to walk alone, winding around the castle, for there was little to do. Then she thought about going to the precise room. Maybe she could practice a little bit, ease the tension before the romantic date.

That was when, in one of the corridors, she saw Kitty and the two henchmen cornering Marley. She grunted and cursed softly. Santana drew out her wand. First knocked out the nearest minion. Then she made the second fly a few meters. Kitty, intent on attack, grabbed Marley and made her shield, placing the wand against Hufflepuff's neck.

"Don't mess with my business, Lopez." Kitty tried to sound confident and threatening, but the truth was that she herself was afraid because she knew she was no match for her adversary.

"I don't want to get into your business, Wilde." Santana smiled and put her wand in the holder attached to the belt of her jeans. "See, we can work this out without wands. Just drop Bob Marley."

"Everyone knows you can conjure some stuffs without a wand. Put your hands down, Lopez."

"Alright." Santana lowered her hands. "Hey, Bob Marley, is everything okay there?" The girl nodded nervously, not understanding exactly what Santana wanted with that talk. "What happened this time? Did you breathe harder? Couldn't you get past Kitty for the minimum distance? Or did you just exist?"

"Cut the crap, Lopez!" Kitty warned.

"Okay!" Santana raised her hands, palms facing the girls. Quickly she pointed the index finger at them. "Expelliarmus."

The wand flew from Kitty's hands, allowing Marley to react, to free herself, and to run to Santana's side. Seeing that Santana no longer attacked, and also not wanting to risk her luck against a more experienced and more powerful witch, Kitty smiled slyly and recoiled.

"You've gotten into wrong business, Lopez. You stay in a house that is not yours, offending us every time you exchange saliva in public with girl Potter while you wear our sacred uniform. Then don't complain that the environment is hostile to you."

"Since when a uniform is sacred, Wilde?"

"Be warned."

"Bye, Kitty."

Santana watched the girl helping the other two to get up and then walk away, not bothering to turn her back on the enemy, for she knew Santana was honest enough not to attack. When the trio was out of reach, Santana finally breathed and turned to her younger friend.

"Damn it, Marley. You have to learn to defend yourself once and for all."

"I don't like to fight, but thank you."

"It's not about liking or not fighting. It's about knowing how to defend yourself from those bullies! They won't go away while seeing you as an easy target. Those girls, Kitty... I'm Mother Teresa near to them. And you ... you're Marley, the nice, beautiful Hufflepuff girl with beautiful blue eyes. They are devil's supporters."

"Do you think I'm pretty?" Marley's eyes widened.

"Definitely."

Marley smiled sheepishly. It was not all day that her crush praised her.

"What about you?" Marley was suddenly worried, remembering the threat. "About what Kitty said. Do things get difficult for you in Slytherin?"

"I don't think she'll make things worse as they already are."

"If they get worse?"

Santana thought about it. In fact, she didn't stop thinking about the hostile mood around her in Slytherin ever since classes began. She even wondered when it was wise to stay in the house, even when the whole school seemed to know the prophecy and the maneuver done by Harry Potter and the others years ago.

"I know how to take care of myself. But thank you for the concern." She motioned for her and Marley to move elsewhere.

Santana walked with Marley to the parlor and followed her way to the prefect's dorms. She found Lily still in team uniform and looked impatient.

"Hi bae!" Santana took her girlfriend's hand.

"What's it?"

"What was what?"

"You look like something has happened."

"Kitty was tormenting Marley again."

"I'll bet you played the knight on the white horse once more."

"Jealous?" Santana smiled. "Of Bob Marley girl?"

"Of course not! But it's obvious she has a crush on you."

"Come on, Potter? She's 13! And you promised to show me a certain room."

Lily squinted, straightening her posture in an austere manner before taking her girlfriend's hand and leading her up the stairs.

...

"Why is your adversary powerful?" Blaise Zabini asked Samuel as they were in a circular arena seated facing each other in an eastern meditation position.

"Because she practices from an early age and..."

"Wrong answer."

"Because she's naturally powerful."

"Wrong answer."

"Because she is smart?"

"Are you asking me? Wrong question!"

Samuel shook his head impatiently. For the months he had been with Zabini, most of them alone, in the mansion of the Order of the Pure. He practiced the art of darkness and worked hard and studied the story according to the version of the books of the Order. It was a millenarian secret organization that admitted few members: only one or two novices from anywhere in the world were tested annually. They were young men like Samuel, who came from a lineage of ancient wizards and considered pureblood (only the blood of the pure open the gates of the mansion). All also presented normative traits considered ideal: heterosexual, open to suggestions and doctrines, insecure, lost. That is, perfect young people to have the mind molded in favour of the Order. Most of the members were men, but there were some women.

Samuel, however, was special. Besides all the ideal requirements, it was still part of a prophecy that became more and more known in the wizarding world. It was a rare jewel, a diamond to be polished by the Order.

"Master, why is my adversary powerful?" Samuel asked humbly.

"Because she is a symbol above all else. The symbol itself isn't dangerous. The point is that every symbol represents an idea. Ideas hold true power."

"If we destroy the symbol, do we destroy the idea?"

"Oh, my dear Evans, you are really stupid!" Zabini laughed. "The destruction of a symbol can reinforce the idea. If you really want to destroy a symbol and the idea behind it, you have to invent a more persuasive and better one. And if that isn't possible, change the symbol and appropriate the idea."

"How do I do this? How can I be a more powerful symbol than my opponent?"

"This is a work in progress. Your job is effectively to become more powerful than your opponent, because confrontation will be inevitable. And when the time comes, you will kill her and you will conquer everything you want."

...

Rachel was restless. On one side was Hugo Weasley, the lovely blue-eyed redhead, pianist, sensitive and faithful. On the other was Finn Hudson, handsome, tall, who, in addition to playing drums, could sing well enough to do a duet with her. In fact, he was the only one of the present formation of the choir that was able to do it establishing an authentic partnership of voices. Finn was the ladder so Rachel could shine. Different from what happened every time she tried to sing with Kurt, Mercedes or Blaine. It was exciting to finally find the perfect piece.

The problem was that Rachel, in her possessive, egotistical, and compulsive personality (no wonder she belonged to Slytherin) would be able to do anything to get what she wanted. And what she wanted more than anything at the time was Finn Hudson. What about Hugo? Rachel didn't have the guts to end the courtship and do the right thing. Hugo was admiring a new synthesizer with muggle technology adapted to work in the magical environment. Finn, in turn, dressed in the Appleby Arrows T-shirt, talked to Mike about anything. Rachel thought of approaching with the excuse to talk about the choir and kindly chase away the other colleague.

Yes, she could talk to Finn before meeting with Hugo and getting ready to end a loving relationship that never progressed. A relationship that never was beyond the second base because Hugo never aroused the fire in Rachel to want go further. For Rachel, Hugo was that nice boyfriend in whom she could show around. That wasn't right. Finn, on the other hand, had the freshness of novelty, of desire. The big guy even being the captain of the worst team in Hufflepuff's history, he still managed to be one of Hogwarts's most popular boys. Finn had the scent of charisma that was absent from the Slytherin.

Rachel looked like an eagle toward the object of desire and stepped forward, only to retreat backwards, followed by a shriek of fright. Santana disappeared in front of her with a foul grin on her face.

"Bu!" The older sister burst out laughing at Rachel's condition.

"God, Santana! You'll kill me someday."

"Wow, I need to practice. I'm a month late and I can't waste time."

Lessons to learn to apparate were the only options given in Hogsmeade. They were intended for sixth-year students who had parental consent (also for seventh-graders who needed reinforcement), and needed to be made in the village because of the castle's protective spells. Even if Santana didn't have permission from Juan and Shelby for classes, she would receive such classes with the permission of the headmaster.

"Please, go practice killing someone else!"

Santana looked around and saw that some people were watching them, including Finn and Hugo. It could be said that Rachel's scream caught the attention of those who were close. Hugo walked toward the sisters.

"Your boyfriend is coming here and I need to get back to class."

Santana apparated leaving, without knowing and without wanting, the sister in an uncomfortable situation.

"Apparation classes?" Hugo commented casually. "Rose and my cousins scared me a few times."

"This is horrible!"

"Not so much. We get used to it... then next year it will be our turn." Hugo kissed her girlfriend's cheek and took her hand. "How about an ice cream?"

"No. I must preserve my voice."

"We can do something else. I heard that Mrs. Persival will recite some performance poetry in the bookstore."

"I don't want to hear poetry about bloodthirsty, hungry dragons."

"Well, Rachel, it's not like we have great entertainment options at Hogsmeade or at school. What do you want to do to enjoy these last sunny days?"

"I think I'd rather go back to the castle."

"Of course... we can date a little there, right?" Hugo said hopefully. Unlike Rachel, he always wanted more. Obviously, he thought about sex, like every boy about to turn 15. But he respected his girlfriend and never tried to force situations and make her experience sensations that she might not have been ready for. He was patient and, for the time being, it was enough for him to have a love affair with his right hand at bath time.

"I have a headache," Rachel answered harshly.

"All right," Hugo said in frustration. "I'll escort you to the Slytherin's communal room."

They walked hand in hand virtually all the way back. As much as Hugo tried to pull off a conversation, Rachel always responded dry or monosyllabic. At the same time, she was annoyed at the interruption of the opportunity she had to speak with Finn Hudson, she felt guilty for knowing that she was ruining a relationship with a great boy. Hogwarts was empty by the time they arrived, which was only natural since only the juniors and seniors were in the castle and surrounding areas, while most other students used to make the most of each visit to the small village.

Rachel gave a small smile and quickly kissed Hugo on the lips before entering the Slytherin's communal room. She snorted as she reached the door to the women's dorms. Rachel walked down the corridor to the penultimate door and into the fifth and sixth year dormitory. She went to the space she shared with her sister. As usual, Santana's bed was neatly tidy while hers was perfect. She lay down on the bed and stared at the ceiling without necessarily having to. She had no plans to return so soon to the castle. She didn't want to go out into the communal room and study. Rachel thought she read enough for the week, so she thought of going to the music room. At least there was the only record player that worked in school, since neither streaming nor CD worked at Hogwarts. At least the vinyl record was the object of consumption desire and the great artists were launching works in that format. Hence the reason Mr. Schuester manages to keep the collection more or less up-to-date.

Rachel crossed school to the music room and was relieved that she had not crossed paths with her boyfriend. She was even more pleased to find the room empty. She ran his fingertips over the syrup piano and saw all the other instruments in either the closet or the corner next to him. The phonograph stood on a shelf with the concentrated collection of vinyl's from the top shelves. Rachel ran her fingertips over some of them. She swore she knew all the colour and sausage collection. The favourite record was, by far, Barbra Streisand's. It was the larger reference both to Shelby and to her. She took a vinyl from Barbra and put it on the phonograph. She smiled discreetly at the beautiful chirp followed by the first chords of the orchestration accompanying the singer. When Barbra's voice won the mood, it was a treat to Rachel. She sat on one of the chairs and watched every detail of the vinyl cover as the melody progressed.

"It's a good thing to know you're here alone."

Rachel stared at the voice. She was scared to see that there were four masked people there. If they were not death eaters, they were pretentious brats. She got up and immediately pulled out her wand. She knew how to defend herself. Rachel was a pacifist. She wasn't the most interested in the dark art defence training she did regularly with her sister, Lily and Hugo, but it was enough for her to know how to defend herself. The question was, would she be skillful enough to face four at once?

"What do you want?" Rachel tried to keep her concentration from being easy prey.

"Leave a message for your sister."

"Just say the message."

"No, Berry. This message needs to be shown so she knows we're serious."

"Ok..." Rachel tried to control the tremor in her hands. "Bring it on."

Rachel attacked first. With the downside of four against one, she would not afford to ease it. She proved in the first blow that the trainings she did with her sister and friends were of value. She disarmed the first and knocked over the second, but nothing could do with a simultaneous attack of the other two. She felt her body hit the wall, banged her head. She was dizzy, and watched the death-eaters projects approach and felt her body being engulfed by a disgusting goo.

...

"Who did this?" Santana knelt in front of her sister. She tried to be as gentle as possible in her tone so as not to make Rachel even more nervous.

"They were all masked," Rachel whimpered.

"You're good with timbres, Rach." Hugo was right behind Santana. "You can try to recognize the voices."

"I'm not sure who they were. The voice was muffled by the mask. But they were four girls."

Santana abruptly stood up and turned her back on Rachel in the frustrated attempt not to let her sister see the anger she felt. It was Hugo who found Rachel in the music room. She was unconscious, engulfed by a green slime, magically tied to the wall of the music room. Next to Rachel was a note: "Do not mess with our business". By trotting it was possible to understand that it was not professional death eaters, but of students wanting to frighten.

The first suspicion was Kitty. It was possible that it was retaliation. It made sense, since the girl had followers and a feud with Santana and Quinn. But then accusing her without proof was another story. The fact was that Santana was never a popular person at school, even though she was a brilliant athlete and a pretty girl. They were six years at Hogwarts without ever having a period of peace. As long as she needed to handle the consequences of the destiny, everything was fine. But Rachel's attack took these questions to another level.

"I'm going to kill that girl!" Santana snarled, whispering to Lily, Finn, Hugo and Quinn.

"You don't know if it was her, San. Don't get in trouble." Lily warned.

"That won't go unpunished."

"For now!" Quinn, as usual, tended to think more rationally. "What they want is for you to go around messing around. It doesn't matter if it was Kitty, or an ally close to Evans, what they want is to discredit you. To say that you are the vengeful."

Mercedes, Marley, and Kurt were also in the room, following them all as silent witnesses. Until Marley timidly walked over to the veteran group and touched Santana's arm, keeping her head down.

"Sorry," Marley said almost whispering.

"Why?" Quinn asked almost inquisitively.

"Because Santana helped me and now Rachel paid the price."

"You don't have the slightest fault because an idiot made you a target." Lily put her hand on the shoulder of her younger colleague when she saw that her girlfriend was silent not to burst. She pulled Santana into the corner of the room and made her sit down. "Breathe. Your sister still needs your help."

Santana ran her hands through her hair and then down her face. She closed her eyes for five seconds and stood up. If she was a natural leader, she had to start taking responsibility and acting like one.

"Ok, let's play right this time. Mercedes and Lily, please help Rachel clean herself. Quinn, and the others, would be of great help if you could probe with other colleagues to try to find out who was part of it."

"What are you going to do?" Finn asked.

"Hunt a cat."

"No, no, no, no." Lily ran and held her girlfriend by the arm. "You are crazy? If it was really Kitty, don't you see that's all she's supposed to want? No matter what you are, San, here you have no privileges. Only more obligations. You may end up being expelled."

"If it happens, it happened."

Before leaving the music room, Santana kissed Rachel on the forehead. She strode straight to the Slytherin communal room and looked at her colleagues as if everyone there knew what had happened. Or maybe it was just the state of humour that made her look at things from such a conspiratorial perspective. She moved to the dorms. Except for Sugar and Quinn, there were no friends left in that house. She got in the bedroom and saw Tina talking to one of Kitty's close friends. What was her name again? Bree? Santana didn't care about the name that was in the girl's identity, but she did not miss her closeness with a girl who used to attend the choir headed by Rachel. Tina stared at her, interrupting her conversation with the other girl. Santana even nudged the girls with a cynical smile on her face.

"Hey, Chang girl. Can I interrupt your private conversation with the minion?" Santana turned to Bree without even waiting for Tina to respond. "Where is Wilde?"

"She's not here," the girl replied cynically.

"I hope you can warn her before I reach her."

She went to the wardrobe and picked up an object that wasn't identified by the other girls, and put it in the pocket of her coat. Santana left the bedroom without speaking to anyone else in the communal room. She saw that Lily and Finn were waiting outside: the girlfriend eager to keep Santana from fooling herself, while Finn was there for support.

"Don't do anything stupid, San," Lily insisted.

"Don't make me act against the two of you," Santana replied in a cold, composed voice.

"I'll go with you." Lily reached for her girlfriend's hand, but Santana pulled her arm.

"Lat warning, Lil." She continued walking without looking at her girlfriend or the boy next to her. "Stop following me."

"No, Sant..."

"Petrificus totalus," Santana conjured at incredible speed, striking Lily and Finn. She didn't look back.

Santana followed the steps up and down to the school hall. Few students were there. Dinner wasn't yet served and many of the students were still enjoying the last few minutes of leisure that weekend. She thought of where Kitty might be. She didn't know the youngest student very well. She knew, however, that Kitty liked to spend time in the Quidditch field or the covered bridge, because it was a spot where some couples used to walk and Santana knew Kitty had a sweetheart. She checked the covered bridge and the courtyard of the clock tower, then went to the Quidditch pitch. She found Brittany playing with other students there. The Ravenclaw girl waved happily and called Santana to the game. It would be for later.

Santana didn't find Kitty anywhere. It was as if the girl had disappeared from the map. At the thought of that the word map popped into her head. She ran to the vicinity of the Slytherin communal room, where she had paralyzed his girlfriend and Finn. She didn't find anyone there, which was, in a way, predictable: either someone freed them or the effect had passed. She ran back into the room and nothing, then went to the staircase that led to the painting of the Fat Woman, guardian of the Gryffindor's communal room.

"Oh, it's you." The enchanted painting said as air of boredom.

"Lily Potter, did she come by recently?" Santana asked the painting.

"Can't tell you."

"She told you to say that. Lily's in there." Facing the silence of the painting, Santana insisted. "Please, I know you can call her."

"Why don't you do it yourself and leave me alone?" The Fat Woman began to shake and rolled her eyes.

"Only Gryffindors can come in..." That was when another click came to Santana's mind. She was a Gryffindor. Not officially, but she was destined to belong to that house. The question was: what was the password itself? She heard Lily say it once, but not paying attention right. It was the name of a plant. "Guelricho?"

The Fat Woman looked at her indifferently.

"Are you asking me a question, dear?"

"The password: Guelricho."

"At last you have decided." The passage was opened.

Santana had already been in the Gryffindor communal room paying a bet she had lost to Lily. She remembered that the first impression she had was on how much friendlier the place was than Slytherin's sobriety and coolness. At the bottom were the steps that led to the bedrooms, a large fireplace on the opposite side, and the velvet couch games in grey colour. Santana could see the paintings of old members of historical importance, there were large windows, two small tables, a wizard's chessboard, and cute rugs to sleep on. It was a place not only of coexistence but of recreation.

Santana became so attached to the scenic details that only after a while did she realize that all the pairs of eyes in the room were facing her. The Gryffindors were perplexed by the presence of the well-known Slytherin.

"Fat Lady must be crazy for letting you in." Lion Bates jumped off the couch, pointing his wand directly at the unexpected visitor's neck.

"She can come in here because she's a Gryffindor." Melissa Brown intervened, pulling Lion's hand down. Santana was as surprised as the others. She would never expect Melissa to help her with anything. "Complicated story." Lily's best friend, however, wasn't in the mood for anyone who would collaborate for long. "What do you want, Lopez?"

"I need to talk to Lily and I know she came in here."

"Are you going to apologize for having her nearly paralyzed at the door of the Slytherin communal room?" Melissa remained defiant and guilty made herself present in Santana's expression.

"Was she hurt? Did someone do her any harm?"

"No thanks to Fabray. Who would have thought, by the way."

"Melissa... please... I really need to talk to Lily. I came here thinking of doing something, but I see now that I need to apologize. Stay with me if you want, I don't care ... just let me talk to her."

Melissa opened the way and pointed toward the stairs.

"First floor, second door on the right."

The distribution of the dorms in Gryffindor was different from Slytherin. They were smaller, but more numerous, made for five students. As there were no significant distinctions, it was possible to stay in the same dormitory for all seven years, if the student wished and that was what usually happened. Santana got in the room, accompanied closely by Melissa. She found Lily sitting on a bed near the window (even though she was a prefect and could use a private room, that bed was still hers). She was hugging her legs with her chin against her knees, looking more angry than sad. Lily wasn't surprised to see Santana. She believed that things should be that way. Only she wasn't in the mood.

"Did you do the nonsense that you were crazy to commit?" Lily asked so coldly that it made Santana feel shivers.

"I didn't make it. I didn't find her. Sorry... I was really hot headed."

"Mel, you could excuse us for a minute." Melissa nodded and left the room. Lily then turned to her girlfriend. "San, I know what your boggart is. I saw it. I saw your face when you met Rachel. I saw how you tried to disguise your despair. Only your lack of control won't do you any good. Besides, you hurt me."

"Sorry, Lily. I... damn, I still want to kill that girl. "Santana came over and sat on the next bed.

"Look." Lily sat facing her girlfriend. "We're going to get the people who hurt Rachel, okay? But we're going to do it the right way." Lily frowned as Santana reached into her coat pocket and pulled out a small K7 recorder. "What is it?"

"I wasn't really going to kill Wilde. Electromagnetic stacks and tapes are one of the few Muggle inventions that work without problems in our midst, so I recorded some tapes and brought batteries: to listen to some music in peace. Since this also records voice, I was going to try to start a confession."

"Wow." Lily looked puzzled. "That sounds smart to me."

"Maybe I'd use a little more force for it. I'm not going to lie that I really want to hurt that girl."

"It seems reasonable. But not for today. Let me do this, okay? The game between Gryffindor and Slytherin will be next weekend and by then I'll have a captain's meeting with Kitty. Trust me, San. Just show me how it works. Then go back to Slytherin, okay? Rachel needs you."

Santana nodded. She knelt in front of Lily, who opened her legs so Santana's body fit better. Lily tucked a lock of dark, smooth hair behind her girlfriend's ear and bent to kiss her.

...

Lily found herself being summoned by an extraordinary Gryffindors assembly after Santana Lopez left the communal room. She was fully aware that the situation was too peculiar for others to simply ignore. She understood that if she let people think what they wanted, Santana's situation and even her situation could get worse. Hence her decision to tell at least the main parts of the story to the companions during the assembly.

"Is that really the case?" Bail Onyo was as baffled as the rest. "I mean, about the prophecy?"

"Yes, that's the truth. Santana is one of us" Lily explained. "I don't know why she was relocated to Slytherin, but that was a strategy to hide her identity and the new Dark Lord."

"Why doesn't she just move out of the house?" Mercedes asked. "If Santana is one of us, it doesn't make sense to stay on the other side."

"House changes have never happened in Hogwarts history, Cedes. It's not that simple." Kurt talked to his colleague almost privately, but loud enough for the others to hear.

"I found out that Santana was one of us during portion classes two years ago. Only then didn't she even know about anything, and I didn't even know what that meant" Lily explained. "Guys, I know this story is confusing for you, but it's even more for me and for San. She's going through a lot of problems and pressures you don't even know. That's why I ask you to take it lightly. I know it's going to be difficult, but don't look at her like she was a three-headed dog like other people are already doing."

"It's hard to pity Santana Lopez." A seventh-year student raged. "She was so troublemaker, that fate seems divine justice. Sorry Lily, you know I like you, but if your girlfriend is destined to face the new Dark Lord, fine. Better her than me."

"I understand you." Lily tried to keep her cool, despite the desire to fight with her colleague. "I hated Santana at first. I don't deny that she was a big and irritating bully. Only she's a good person, believe me, or I'd never date her. Besides, she can die for us."

"Maybe that's a fair end." The student countered and provoked a buzz in which some others agreed, leaving Lily very close to pulling his wand and teaching the classmate a lesson.

"I know you're just another average student. I know that if the other side take power, your life will remain the same. For me, it's okay that you stand idly by complaining and criticizing as if your fucking opinion had some relevance. But if you do anything against my girl by any means, I won't answer for myself. "

"I'm not going to get in her way or yours, Potter. But regardless of anything, I am a legitimate member of this house and, according to our code, my opinion has the same weight as yours about the issues surrounding Gryffindor. I think we already have too many problems and we do not need another one the size of Santana Lopez."

"She's a Gryffindor!" Lily raged. "She's our problem!"

"Let's put it to the vote." Gryffindor's seventh-year mayor suggested. "Those who are in favour of hosting Santana Lopez in this house raise their hands."

Lily, Mercedes, Kurt and Blaine were the only ones who raised their hands. Lily was disappointed in the result. She was the only Potter/Weasley currently in the house, and she did not have the same lead as Albus or Rose.

"It's settled!" The oldest prefect looked at his companion. "We understand the circumstances, Potter, but we understand that Santana Lopez wasn't our problem because she was assigned to stay in Slytherin. She turned out to be one. That's why we understand that Santana Lopez is not welcome inside our communal room, let alone wearing our colours and symbols."

"You're making a mistake." Lily whined and retreated into the bedroom. It was ironic that the house of the brave ones had made a cowardly decision.

...

Books were never company for Samuel Evans, but since the retreat he was subjected to, he found himself reading every day. A habit he never thought he would have. Samuel felt that not only was he much better off from physical training and spells, as though he had undergone an intensive course far superior to what was taught at Hogwarts, but his reasoning was faster. It was as if he had no more problems with the dyslexia that afflicted him at Hogwarts and kept him away from the library.

After dinner, he went to the library and faced the books that were theoretically intended only for the elders of the Order of the Pure. Such a section of the library wasn't protected by any spell or defence mechanism against onlookers. What was the reason for this in a place that was already restrictive in itself? What kept Samuel from taking one of these books was mere lack of understanding and curiosity. Such barriers were clearly overcome when he chose The Tales Of Beedle The Bard. It was strange, because this book was common, sold to children in the bookstores of Diagon Alley. Even though he had never read it, he knew the story told by his father.

When opening the book, he soon saw that the differential was the countless notes. They were many and made by at least four different people. Samuel sat down on the couch and began to read.

"Interesting choice." Samuel was so immersed in the reading that he didn't see Zabini approaching. "Of all the books of the masters, why did you choose just this tale for children?"

"Because I wanted to know what a children's book was doing among the others." Samuel showed the notes. "There seems to be a good study on him."

"It's true." Zabini pulled up a chair and sat down in front of the pupil. "What do you know about Deathly Hallows?"

"That there are rumours they actually existed. The Elder Wand belonged to Albus Dumbledore and there are rumours that Harry Potter owns the cloak of invisibility. But there is no news about the stone."

"Yes, they are real, or they were real. Samuel, do you know what fundamentalism is?"

"It is when you read certain sacred texts, like the bible or the Qur'an, in the literal way, without considering the metaphors contained or question the culture of the time."

"Exact. You're right. We know that fundamentalism is stupid because it doesn't seek to understand the history and the reasons behind the metaphor. Dumbledore and Voldemort read it in a fundamentalist way, but we see it beyond. Tell me, Samuel, what did you find interesting in these notes?"

"That the hallows weren't made by death, but planned by Merlin himself. He was the first master of death."

"Merlin was a student of Salazar Slytherin himself and, they say, he used all the teachings of the master to become the greatest creator of spells and potions in history. This can't be proved, but we know Merlin was willing to create the ultimate magical objects: the strongest of wands, the ability to be anywhere, and the power to deceive one's own death. While he manipulated that half-blood Arthur to build England and drive out the Romans who decimated the wizards, he worked intensely on this secret project, and they said he succeeded. The formula for the resurrection stone has long been lost, and we know today many other ways of creating the same effect of the cloak of unfeasibility. But there is a way to recreate the most powerful wand."

"As?"

"The cost is very high, dear apprentice. Many of the Order tried to reproduce it and failed." Zabini touched the scars of his own face: the lost beauty was the price he paid for trying to reproduce such a wand.

"If I can rebuild this wand, I will become so powerful that even she won't be able to stop me, right?"

"Yes."

"So I need to try."

"Are you really up for it?"

"If I am the chosen one, then it is because there is a good reason. What I need to do?"

...

Kitty Wilde, Bree Lighttripper, Briana Vicius and Lauren Boccah, all of the fourth and third year students at Slytherin's house were suspended for the assault on Rachel Berry. The announcement was made in a private meeting between professor, a representative of the parents, students and prefects of the houses of Slytherin and Gryffindor. Lily was one of the presences, since she herself recorded Bree's confession. Kitty proved to be too smart to confess to anything she'd done, but Bree loved boasting. Wasn't the fish that died from the mouth?

The subject won the school, especially because Kitty was suspended at the eve of the decisive round of the houses cup. This opened the door for Quinn and Santana to return to the team for the last game, but they refused in part because of their pride. This wasn't well interpreted by their house mates, which increased tensions considerably in an environment that was already in bad weather.

As much as She was proud of her girlfriend, Santana recognized that dating Gryffindor's captain and prefect was no help at all. It was as if she had betrayed all Slytherins principles. She thought she had two options: either she would take the break, or try to get out of the green house somehow. She still hung for the first because she didn't like to feel like a coward, but she knew that if things got complicated, she would have to learn to back off.

Santana thought about it as she walked into the final game between Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. The teams came from victories over Hufflepuff and Slytherin and would compete directly for the shortened title of the houses. Rumour had it that the Hogwarts team's call would happen the next day and Santana knew there was a small chance she would be called, even without playing the season. She hoped it would really happen. After a tense semester, it would be nice if she could just play and forget the problems.

She sat on the bleachers with Quinn, Rachel, Hugo, Finn, Marley, Mercedes, and Kurt. Santana noted the behaviour of friends and sister shortly before teams were announced. Kurt was there just because Blaine, who was going to play as a seeker. Rachel was there because she wanted to be close to Finn, but Hugo was also there. Marley? She thought that if she walked with the group more, she would be never alone again. Although Kitty was punished (a condition that wouldn't be forever), there were still many bullys at that school.

The teams entered the field doing the traditional aerial movements. In the bleachers, the group was almost entirely in favour of the Grens, except for Quinn, who wished more for the Ravenclaws. Quinn said the blue team was the best of the season, moreover, like an authentic Slytherin, she couldn't cheer for Gryffindor. The game began and Santana vibrated to see her girlfriend playing well. Lily had evolved a lot over the years: from a player more self-filled than talented to a technical and intelligent competitor. It was a dribble followed by an accurate assist from Lily that the Gryffindors opened the scoring.

But if Lily had grown up as a player over the years, Brittany did too. From the impetuous almost juggler chaser, which made her a little inconsequential, she gained in technique and experience, which made her considered the best chaser of the season. It was said that Brittany was a strong candidate to leave Hogwarts with a signed professional contract. Whoever hired her would have to make a good enough proposal for the girl to stop thinking about the other thing she loved doing: crochet. Brittany was so fond of making crochet headdresses that she thought of making a deal.

Crochet aside, in the Quidditch pitch, Brittany and Mike were in their day. Even though Lily was very good and the Gryffindor team was well organized, Ravenclaw was packed and played like it was under a railing. The score in the first half ended favourable to the blue team by 30 points difference.

"Your boyfriend needs to get the snitch fast!" Santana lightly shoved Kurt, who was in front of him. "Oh, it even sickens my stomach to say I miss Rose Weasley."

"Blaine is doing the best he can, I can assure you," Kurt countered.

Santana and Quinn looked at each other and rolled their eyes in synchrony. Kurt didn't understand Quidditch and couldn't see that Blaine was making wrong moves, which didn't deceive or persuade the opponent. When the second half began, it was said and done. Blaine spotted the snitch and fired, but the blue seeker managed to catch Blaine and dribble him so as to have the advantage in pursuing the winged sphere. End of the game. Ravenclaw was once again home champion after nine years.

"Did you see? I was right, as always!" Quinn nudged her friend. "If it's any consolation, your girl played well. Although your ex-girl was much better."

"No one asked for your opinion, Fabray."

Santana and Quinn allowed themselves to exchange a small smile before descending from the bleachers. The group was concentrated in the entrance of one of the bridges under the small channel that divided the castle of the field of Quidditch. Kurt was the first to see his boyfriend and ran to Blaine's side.

"Even after an hour of flying, no strands of his hair left the place," Mercedes commented on Blaine, teasing Rachel, Hugo, and Santana.

"I heard his mother made five pounds of gel to last through the winter parties." Rachel liked to disdain Blaine because she had some restrictions on him. She found him too incisive in the choir that was supposed to be the great star. Blaine didn't sing so well, but he had charisma and behaved like a gay alpha, as Mercedes once defined it. "Are you going to the castle now?"

"I don't." Santana replied looking at the crowd waiting for her girlfriend.

"It's so cold that I go to the communal room of my house," Marley commented.

"Not a bad idea," Finn agreed.

"Are you sure?" Rachel hastened to answer. "The day is fine... it's not raining. Or, if you want, we can rehearse a number to try to compose the Hogwarts delegation this year. What do you think?" Rachel insisted with the group hoping to spend more time with the boy she was delighted for.

"Another time, Berry," Mercedes grunted. "Some of us have a going beyond the choir."

Rachel watched the group disperse. Santana met Brittany and Lily, Finn and Marley walked together to the castle. Mercedes nodded to a group of Gryffindor girls and ran to them, Kurt went to Blaine. Quinn apparently had no plans.

"Will you celebrate the victory with your friends?" Rachel asked.

"No." Quinn replied as if bored. "I think I'll practice a little in the precise room."

"Can I go with you?" Rachel asked wanting to be with anyone but her boyfriend.

"If you want."

The younger Slytherin opened the theatrical smile and kissed her boyfriend, without even asking him to accompany them. Attitude, incidentally, that didn't go unnoticed by Quinn. They walked to the castle. The corridors were empty, which was convenient because the room needed was known only by few students of that generation. Quinn thought and a pompous wooden door appeared. Rachel wondered if the room had given them access to a smaller space, with a set of couch in the corner, nice rug, a phonograph and a bookshelf and some vinyl records.

"I thought you wanted to practice." Rachel walked over to the bookshelf and checked the records that were there. It was a small collection of jazz and standards with records dating back to the 1940s and 1950s. "What's this here?"

"Horace Slughorn's study room." Quinn sat down on the couch.

"Really?" Rachel's eyes widened. "How did you find it?"

"He mentioned something at one of the Slug Club meetings."

"Oh, the infamous party club..." Rachel wriggled her nose at being never invited to attend, even though she was a good student in portions. Apparently, the veteran professor thought the two sisters, Rachel and Santana, weren't pleasant enough to sit next to him and their respective favourites. Lily and Quinn, on the other hand, had Horace's esteem.

" The professor said that when he was young, before Dumbledore gave him the space he thought he deserved, he'd figured out a way to have his own. I formulated the hypothesis and discovered this version."

"It really is Slunghorn's style. Look at these records? Wizards and British jazzmen... tea set... and this hideous rug."

"At least it's comfortable." Quinn smiled.

"Apparently." Rachel picked out a record and put it on the stereo before she sat down next to Quinn. They were silent for a few minutes listening to the first track on the record. "Not bad. Have you explored this library yet?"

"I've never used this room. Not really."

"Then why did you think of it, not the training room?"

"Is that what you really want to do? Practice?"

"No," Rachel replied quickly, almost regretting it.

"Good. Then why did you want to stay with me?" Quinn stared at the woman a little over a year younger and raised her infamous eyebrow. "You should break up with him, you know? Weasley?"

"How do you know?" Rachel put her hand to her heart, as if amazed at the revelation. She just couldn't see that ill-will toward her boyfriend was already leaping in the eyes of several people.

"You're as subtle as your sister," Quinn quipped. "Maybe a little worse."

Rachel wasn't offended by her colleague's remark. She was concerned if other people observed the same and didn't talk to her for some reason. At least Quinn was being honest.

"Don't get me wrong, I like Hugo." Rachel tried to justify herself.

"I don't really care, Berry. But it's so obvious that you're not into him anymore. I think you're using him somehow."

"That wasn't it." Rachel hurried to answer. "I really wanted to date Hugo. Or maybe the idea of having a boyfriend was bigger. The point is our relationship happened naturally, only..."

"Now you don't want it anymore and you don't have the guts to break up."

"Exactly." Rachel heard a little more of the song before turning back to Quinn. "Have you dated anyone but Santana?"

"My other experiences don't fit that definition."

"Not even when you dated my sister?"

"I like your sister, okay? Sometimes I think I like her more than I should. But I know full well that Santana only has eyes for She-Potter." Quinn hugged her own legs and controlled herself to keep her voice steady. "The worst thing is that this crooked relationship with your sister was the closest thing I ever had to knowing what it's like to be loved by someone. She-Potter is very lucky."

"I don't understand, Quinn. You're the most beautiful girl in school, you're smart and an excellent Quidditch player. You could have anyone you want. But the impression is that you seem to be the loneliest person in Hogwarts."

"I think I am. Apart from Santana's friendship, I don't have anyone else."

"You have my friendship too." Rachel placed a hand on Quinn's face and smiled in earnest.

Yes, there was a moment between them. One in which Quinn seriously thought to bring her face closer and kiss Rachel on the lips. She was surprised when the younger Slytherin took the initiative. It was a faint kiss, almost innocent, and lasted less than both would like. Rachel smiled and walked away. None needed to say what that moment should be in that room.

The Slytherin girls spent the afternoon in that room in comfortable silence, only enjoying each other's company as jazz songs filled the room.

...

Santana and Quinn were perplexed. They walked to the front of the tables of the Hogwarts houses looking at each other without understanding the criteria of coach Oliver Wood. Santana and Quinn thought they wouldn't be chosen because they hadn't played that season. The fact was that no good new seekers came into the school since Rose Weasley graduated and Quinn was just there. Now, both are part of the Hogwarts team again.

Santana and Quinn joined the keepers Gail Traves and Nick Robensbaum, beaters Blade Caldeñas, Lohanne Stone and the Goyle twins, chasers Mike Chang, Brittany Pierce, Lily Potter, Bail Onyo and Jerome Page, and the seeker Aurora Bloom. It was a veteran team, since most were sixth graders, which made the team theoretically stronger.

The next day, as was suggested by Oliver Wood, the whole team was having lunch together on the three broomsticks. Everyone was there except Aurora Bloom. They sat at a table suitable for the thirteen players. Madame Rosmerta, happy to receive the team that would defend Hogwarts that season, offered one (and only one) free spin of butterbeer.

"A toast to the Hogwarts Quidditch team!" Gail Travis, the new captain of the team, lifted his glass, being imitated by all the others. "And now we can come back with the biggest bowl in our hands."

"If more than half of our team comes back home in a whole this time, we'll be fine," Mike said with a giggle.

"I'd also like to make a toast." Brittany lifted her glass. "Welcome back Quinn and San, and thank you. Without you two on Slytherin team, our first championship in years got easier."

Santana and Quinn looked at each other uncomfortable with her friend's supposed homage. They knew that everything would be more complicated for both of them, since they would have to prove at any moment because they deserved to be there even without having played the season. In that sense, even failure would be double charged. Lily discreetly placed a hand on her girlfriend's leg and squeezed a little close to her knee. It was just a gesture of warmth and comfort at the same time. They exchanged glances and Santana whispered next to Lily's ear.

"Later."

"Oh!" Brittany said suddenly, drawing her attention back to herself. "I forgot I have a date! Need to go!"

"Date?" Mike asked. "Isn' your boyfriend right here?" He pointed to himself.

"Date with Artie. He asked me for help with a project." Brittany smiled.

"Artie?" Gail Travis was surprised. "I didn't know you were talking to him."

"Artie?" It was Santana's turn to wonder. "Is that kid in the wheelchair?"

"This one," Mike confirmed.

"If you'll excuse me!" Brittany smiled and stood up, throwing random kisses in the air.

The team watched Brittany leave the pub without even paying her part of the bill.

"Do you already know who we will play against?" Lily asked the team captain.

"We will face Castelobruxo, Koldovstoretz and Beauxbatons. But we have no idea about their teams this year. What I do know is that the Russians will play with three students who are already in their national team. It won't be easy."

"What fun would it have been if it were?" Mike responded by arousing excitement in the rest of the team.

Even Santana and Quinn relaxed more. It was good to be in the team.

...

Samuel flew through the forest until his body hit the damp ground because of the first snow that had fallen the night before. He spat and lingered to get up, and put his hand to his face. All he could do was spread the dirt even more. He could see his master approaching slowly, calm steps. That made Samuel angry. How could he be the chosen one if he couldn't overcome Blaise Zabini after months of training?

"What did you do wrong this time?"

"I don't know!" Samuel replied loudly, frustrated, irritated. "Maybe I'm not good. Maybe I'll never be so good and powerful without Elder Wand. Maybe you should leave me alone and find someone else to do this shit!"

Zabini only smiled cynically.

"Is this how you think you'll get what you want? Being a crybaby?"

"No." Samuel stood up unwillingly. "But you must be disappointed that I wasn't as strong as you thought."

"Indeed." Zabini began to walk around the pupil. "You now earnestly desire to try to produce a new wand, but I must remember that your adversary knows how to duel even without one. If you want to defeat her, you must know how to do it with any instrument."

"Like what?"

"As I told you, Evans, the real destruction of your opponent runs in the field of ideas. But you must shoot first and also do the final shoot."

"How?"

"Don't you two share a love?"


	12. Year 6 - part 3

The castle of Koldovstoretz was breathtaking. The architecture, reminiscent of the Kremlin, was robust at the same time as it appeared light and sophisticated. Koldovtoretz is in the far east of Russia, 400km from Vladivostok, the most important port city in that country. The school is part of the wizard city of the same name, which had almost 10,000 inhabitants, only losing to Alto Paraíso in Brazil as the largest exclusively wizarding city in the world. It was basically a metropolis compared to the wizarding villages of the United Kingdom and the United States. On the other hand, to be fair, the city housed the almost total population of wizards that existed in Russia. The other portion lived in secret micro neighbourhoods around Moscow.

The seat of the Russian parliament was in Koldovstoretz, whose building was a tourist attraction that stood in the center of the city, in front of a square with flowers of very vivid colours, that survived the rigorous winter by the action of the magic. There was a church immediately adjacent, for Russia was one of the few countries with representation in International Confederation of Wizards whose government was integrated with religious leaders. In this case, it was a version of orthodox Christianity. This was one of the reasons that Russians were culturally conservative. Curiously, there were no wizards in the heart of the country and in Siberia, which was a dead zone for magic. This explained why countries of great territorial extension, such as Kazakhstan and Mongolia, didn't have wizards. And that the population of Chinese wizards (which ironically was one of the smallest among the countries with representation in the International Confederation of Wizards) was concentrated in the south of the country, near the border with Tibet.

The city had an expressive shopping center, which established business with Japan, China, Korea, and South Asian countries. There was a whole neighbourhood with houses, which housed the wealthiest families in the city. There were also apartment buildings and small hotels near the mall. It was in Koldovstoretz that there was the largest factory of industrialized portions in the world. On the way between the city and the school, there was the Quidditch stadium used for both Russian national team matches and the two professional teams the city hosted. It was where the school world championship of that year would take place. Beside the school was a Quidditch pitch with modest bleachers in which a kind of rustic quidditch was practiced which, instead of brooms, students would fly across entire trees.

Despite the important trade in the region, the Russians were racially closed. The town grew basically under the dominion of four families, which made that half of the population had relation of kinship to some degree. Visiting Koldovstoretz was great. Do business in Koldovstoretz too. Living in Koldovstoretz was another story. If you weren't a pure caucasian wizard or witch, you would probably be excluded from the main social circles. But you probably could live in the city's neighbourhoods. That is why there was an almost annexed village inhabited exclusively by foreigners who would hardly be accepted as citizens but who had to remain there for some reason.

Hence the reason that the Koldovstoretz school was composed almost exclusively of Russians and pure-blooded students (there was a minority coming from Eastern Europe and a single student born in Australia, whose father was Russian). Most students spent all day at school and slept in their own homes. Only those who came from Moscow and the foreigners were housed in the dormitories of the school.

When the Hogwarts delegation arrived, they were very well received by the organization of the event. It was beautiful to enter the city under the rain of magic rose petals of all colours. The accompanist in charge of Hogwarts took the delegation to the camp and handed Padma Patil (chairman of the deletion) the schedule with all the events that would involve the championship.

"Tomorrow we will have a visit to the school and the official fraternization." Padma read the announcements to the assembled staff in the huge tent room. "Our acclimatization training is scheduled for the morning of the next few days. We will only have one hour, but we can use the outside area to do our complementary exercises. We will also have a tent next to the stadium. Wood, Travis and I are going to go there to recognize the facility."

"Aren't you going to have ball this time?" Brittany asked.

"Yes, there will be a gala ball at the end of the first round, as in the previous edition." Padma frowned as she glanced at the list of events, catching Quinn's attention.

"Is there a problem, professor?"

"There's... there's a handbook with etiquette rules for social events, like dancing." Padma held one of the pages as if disgusted with them.

"What?"

"It says, among other things, that demonstrations of homoafetivity are banned in any public space in the country, under penalty of varying from detention to deportation." Lily took Santana's hand and they both looked at the rest of the delegation. "I'm sorry, girls."

"Who needs a ball anyway?" Lily kissed Santana on the cheek and made a tough pose for the rest of the team. Everyone knew that Russia was still a conservative, bound by ancient religious traditions. It was no surprise that the regulation reminded everyone of such standards.

Padma finished giving the instructions to the students and released them to settle down and recognize the area for the delegations. This time there was a balance between the number of boys and girls. As the delegations were leaner, with no cultural groups, they could all be housed in a single tent. Of the four rooms allocated to the athletes, the boys occupied two altogether, while the girls decided to split into three with a terrible argument about who would stay with whom. The only consensus was that no one accepted that Lily and Santana were in the same room at the risk of unwanted catches. So the division was with Lily, Brittany and Aurora dividing one room, and Santana, Quinn and Lohanne in another.

Santana didn't even sort things out. She locked the suitcase and then left to explore the city. As much as that people of that city were racists, it was still a wizarding metropolis and that was always something to see. Santana and Quinn walked out together in their Hogwarts walking sports uniforms. The village of the delegations was much more structured than that of Durmstrang. To begin with, all the tents were in a pavement area, with a very neatly tiled central tent that served as a large communal room, with a few sofas, benches and little tables spread out. There was a large collective dining room without predetermined tables, which reinforced the idea of interaction between the delegations. Too bad it was all a make-up.

Santana passed the tent of Uagadou looking for Adila Amondi. They exchanged some correspondence. They were few, but enough to know that her friend had even doing her project as a researcher of other cultures coming out of Eurocentrism, especially the British.

"Hi." Santana said to a girl wearing a beautiful red turban.

"Hey," the girl replied without much interest.

"Is Adila Ammondi here?"

"Miss Amondi?" The girl's eyes widened. "Oh no. She's traveling around the world to write a book. "

"Sure, I know. I just thought she was coming to watch the competition."

"I know some African authorities will come. Who knows?"

"Well... who knows? Thanks!"

Since Adila was currently without a fixed address, Santana had to wait to have a letter or wait a long time until her friend picked up her own mail at the address she had in Angola. By these and others who loved the muggle communication system. It would all be easier if most wizards knew how to use the email at least.

"I'm sorry you didn't find your friend. I know you wanted to talk to her." Quinn said.

"It would be cool to show how much I improved with the wandless spells."

"I'm sure she would be proud."

"Do think so? The Uagadou studants learn to do this from the first year. Imagine this: they begin the process of becoming animagus from the age of 13!"

"That's interesting, but there are advantages and disadvantages between our system and theirs. I don't know if I would feel comfortable becoming an Animagus, to begin with."

"Considering you can't conjure up a patronus." Santana immediately regretted about the remark that she knew was painful to Quinn. "Sorry."

"Not everyone can conjure a patronus, Lopez, let alone an imposing hippogriff. This is no shame."

"I apologized, Fabray. You don't have to prolong gall."

But that bothered Quinn deeply. She couldn't conjure up a patronus not for lack of technique or talent, but because she didn't have happy memories strong enough and significant enough. What she had vividly in her mind were scenes like her sister's death, the beatings, the tortures and, one of the worst, the night her own father had authorized an associate to rape her just because she had kissed a girl. On the other hand, Santana wasn't to blame for making such comments because, apart from knowing that Quinn's father was ignorant and imprisoned for being a corrupt bastard, she didn't know the details. Quinn never tell about the violence she suffered in the home.

"Sometimes you're an idiot," Quinn grunted.

"I know."

"Sometimes not... but you're almost always an idiot."

"I know."

"You're lucky Lily can handle you."

"I know."

"Great. We are understood. "

There wasn't much else to know about the delegations village, and neither was more willing to walk inland. The return to the tent was a common silent agreement. They found Aurora, Lohanne, and Blade holding the flag of the United Kingdom and Hogwarts on the masts in front of the tent. Lily was in the common room talking to Brittany, Mike and Bail. She smiled a little when she saw her girlfriend back.

"So?" Brittany turned to the newcomers. "What's so cool out there?"

"Nothing special," Santana replied without humour.

"This time zone sucks and if I stay here, I'll end up like these two." Mike got up and clapped his hands. "Is anyone able to explore the city without Quinntana bad temper?"

"You don't have to say it twice!" Brittany rose from the sofa, taking Lily with her.

"Sorry, bae!" Lily smiled at her girlfriend and gave her a peck. "But Chang Boy is absolutely right. You two are so grumpy most of time that is exhausting."

Santana and Quinn followed the little group with their eyes out of the tent and muttered at the same time, claiming the fame of the groans they held.

...

According to census of the International Confederation of Wizards, the total population of wizards and witches in the world was 4,1 million individuals, which represented about 0.05% of the world population. To better visualize, all the magical population of the world fit in cities like Los Angeles (USA), Brasília (Brazil) or Berlin (Germany). Europe had about 500,000 wizards and witches scattered among the 50 countries, of whom 35,000 were British citizens. Counting on Ireland, the number goes to 42,000. The number of migrants (like Rachel or Santana's grandparents) increases to 47,000. But only 10,000 of British wizards and witches can be considerate pure-blood. The majority of the magical population in Britain is half-bloods in some degree. About 2,000 are Muggle-borns. The Muggle-born population of Britain is the size of Portugal's total magical population. These numbers make the island ensemble the most populous and densely populated in Europe when it comes to people endowed with magical ability on some level. The reason why more wizards and witches born on the British island than in any other country in the world was an insoluble mystery.

But the point here is that the world population of wizards and witches was so small that news of a school event could make someone become a celebrity who, unlike what happens in the overpopulated Muggle world, people would hardly forget. The previous school tournament, for example, left famous Hogwarts team members for different reasons. Finn Hudson saved a girl from being raped and earned a recognized hero's aura. He's now the good guy you could trust. Santana, in her turn, has publicly become the Hogwarts' half-blood lesbian destined to kill a boy of the same age who supposed to be the next dark lord. Some people believed in her, some didn't.

Santana felt a great deal of glance through the streets of Koldovstoretz. She was, in the view of the Russian press, the lesbian and double mongrel girl who scandalized the Quidditch school tournament by publicly kissing Quinn Fabray. No one cared about the true story behind the kiss, which was Quinn who took the initiative. No one wanted to know if Santana was considered the best school chaser at age 14 or that she's a good student. This had been in the background for the Russian press. The 'scandal' had more repercussion. Not that the British press had behaved better, since her photo kissing Quinn was published in the Daily Prophet at the time.

But a homosexual couple could kiss in a public square in the UK. In Russia it was different: the laws were cruel with the demonstration of homo-affections in public places. Homophobia wasn't a fault or crime. People knew who Santana Lopez was and what she represented. It was as if people waited for the slightest glide to point the finger and call one of the city's six policemen to arrest her. Santana stood all the time with her hands in the pockets of her uniform skirt and two feet away from the group, too afraid that any touch on the other girls, especially on Lily, could be oversized.

"Good thing it's only two weeks," Santana grumbled periodically as she accompanied her girlfriend and two friends through the streets of the nice Koldovstoretz (yes, the city was beautiful and clean).

"Look! A marriage!" Brittany pointed and became excited. "Let's go see it!"

It was all Santana didn't want to see given her emotional state. But Brittany pulled Quinn by the arm and ran closer to witness a legitimate Russian marriage, famous in the wizarding world for the festive rituals.

The ceremony was held in a kind of inverted arena in which the center was the highest part because of the symbolism that the most important institution of the church, the family, had to be elevated to the heavens. The guests watched the ceremony standing, occupying the lower circles, forming a current of energy to be donated to the new family. It was on the label that the guests wore orange and purple clothes because they symbolized joy, vitality, prosperity, success and magic. The groom apparated in the center in predominantly red robes, a symbol of passion and energy, while the bride arrived in white, seated in a ceremonial chair magically carried by her parents or close relatives. The chair was raised to the center and the groom was receiving it by the hand. The priest's speech was usually brief. The bride and groom were given a wreath that had the same symbology as they exchange the rings, and the groom's parents handed the family crest to the bride, symbolizing that she was being accepted into the clan. Finally, all the guests raised their wands to the sky and conjured flower petals while the bride and groom were carried on the shoulders of friends or family members to the place where the party was set up.

The wedding ceremony was usually public because the purpose was to introduce the new family to the society it would belong to, but the party used to be in a private setting, just for the guests, also as a symbol of the private life the new family was entitled to.

Brittany was delighted with the rites. In fact, a Russian wedding was truly beautiful.

"How do I get one of these?" Brittany asked excitedly to the group.

"First you need to date a Russian," Quinn pointed out. "Then you have to be accepted into Russian society, which is kind of complicated in your case."

"Why?" She frowned.

"Because you're muggle-born."

"Well..." Brittany reminisced. "I can very well date whoever I want and ask that my marriage be done in this mold, right?"

"Or this!" Santana smiled at her friend. She always thought her friend was a genius not because of the extraordinary mathematical reasoning she had, but because Brittany was able to subvert logic and rules to her own favour in a simple and innocent way.

"It's really beautiful, but I don't care. I would get married under a shack if it was the right person." Lily rambled on, exchanging glances with her girlfriend.

"How romantic!" Quinn quipped.

"Are you planning on getting married?" Brittany asked Lily with some trepidation. "You and Santana?"

"Brittany, please, we're only 16 years old. What's this marriage thing?" Santana was annoyed.

"But they can marry from the age of 16." Brittany gestured lightly to Russian girls passing by wearing the typical hat that the young woman was considered to be an adult.

"Would you marry at 16?" Lily asked Brittany defiantly.

"Santana and I were thinking of getting married!" Brittany said almost unpretentiously, causing Lily and Quinn to look inquiringly at Santana, who felt trapped.

"Britt and I were kids! We thought dating was just holding hands, and teenagers were more fun adults." Santana defended herself, shooting her ex-girlfriend with a quick glance. "Wants to know? It's almost time for the opening ceremony and I'm not in the mood to walk in a city where I can't even go hand in hand with my girlfriend."

The four teenagers returned to the village from the delegations' tents. They realized that they were late when they observed some of the schools already positioned to enter the stadium. The Hogwarts delegation itself was almost ready. Wood and Padma scolded the laggards at the same time as they made them hurry. The girls, each in their respective rooms, quickly changed their clothes, fixed themselves (literally) in magic, and put on the dark grey uniform with the school's stylized coat of arms to look more modern. It was fair to say that no one was very excited about the official events. The Hogwarts delegation went to the stadium where they attended a show that combined dance, acrobatics and magic (it was necessary to admit that the Russians knew the art very well).

Then came a demonstrative Russian Quidditch match, in which practitioners flew on tree trunks. The rules were similar to those of the old Quidditch, in which the time of the game was determined with the snitch capture. There was no keeper and there was only a small goal, not much bigger than the basketball hoop. It was interesting to watch the first hour, however, agonizingly aware that there was no time limit. No Hogwarts player liked to imagine what a match was for a week and not entitled to substitution, as the previous rules established: a horror to see and to play.

The foreign part of the audience began to get tired and to leave the bleachers after five hours of departure. There was an informal party going on outside the stadium. That's where the teenagers headed. In the middle of the way, however, the Hogwarts team crossed with some British personalities who went to Russia to accompany the event. Among them, the person who made the hairs on the arms of Lily and Quinn shiver every time: Rita Skeeter.

"Look, just look." The old social columnist smiled especially at Lily. "How long haven't I seen you, little Potter."

"You slipped a camera in my face like an unscrupulous paparazzi in July." Lily countered, still thinking about the embarrassing photo that the columnist took of her and a very drunk James Potter pouring wine into Madan McQuil's dress during a party of anniversary of Katie Bell, who is the head of the Department of Magical Transportation of the Ministry of Magic.

"Oh, yes, big event." Skeeter looked sideways at Santana. "It's a pleasure to meet you, Santana Lopez, the girl who stole little Potter's heart."

Santana forced a brief smile just for education. She had antipathy generated by the countless stories that Skeeter wrote in the Daily Prophet's gossip column about her, Lily and Quinn. Even if she hadn't read any, since she was in the United States when the news sequence about her happened, Santana relied on her girlfriend's reports.

"Tell me, how are you doing to be together in a country where... hum... demonstration of affection for a relationship like yours is not well-regarded?"

"We're here to defend Hogwarts. Not to show us in a public square!" Lily replied irritably.

"What a pity! It would be such a show. Especially with your girlfriend's badgirl fame. Lily, how do you deal playing with two of Santana Lopez's ex-girlfriends? Are you jealous?"

"Okay, ma'am, I think you'd better get out of our way." Santana replied irritably, and at the same time baffled by Rita's courage to ask such a question.

"Don't be rude, chosen one. Or people will start thinking that you are actually the lady of darkness." Rita opened a sly smile. "See you at the game tomorrow."

Santana narrowed her eyes and took a deep breath. Only two more weeks to withstand this out of the way annoyance. In the rhythm that things were happening, time seemed like an eternity to her.

...

The Hogwarts team was ready to take the field. The players were profiled side by side with the Castelobruxo team. The Brazilians, the 12 Brazilians and the two Bolivians of the team were confident in making a much better championship than the previous one. In addition, the South American team was enthusiastic, as their school was confirmed to be the next host of the championship.

Hogwarts plans were simply to make the best championship possible. They knew that the team had some internal relationship difficulties and that two female players in the starting lineup had not officially played for a long time. The referee gave orders for the two teams to enter the field. Castelobruxo and Hogwarts came in and set off magical fires to entertain the audience and win some fans in the process. Shortly thereafter, the players were called one by one. Hogwarts would start with Gail Travis as keeper, Mike, Brittany and Santana as the offensive trio, the Goyle twins as beaters and Quinn Fabray as seeker.

Santana sought to focus entirely on the game, ignoring the posters and insults that came from a sector of the stands. Apparently, Hogwarts was the gay team in the league and that everyone should massacre the British. The three balls were released, and Santana got possession of the quaffle in a more aggressive way than she planned. She passed the quaffle to Mike, who quickly threw to Brittany in a really fast pass. Brittany dribbled the Brazilian defence and returned the quaffle at the last minute to Santana, who scored. The crowd reacted coldly, leaving the British team even more suspicious.

The Brazilians came out with the quaffle and tried to attack playing by the sides of the field. They managed to dribble Brittany, who never was even good in the craft, and threw to the defence of Gail. Quaffle to Santana, who fired from the left to the right of the field. She was being chased by a bludger, so she maneuvered and returned the quaffle to Mike, who advanced, while Ezra Goyle hits the bludger and shoots him toward the chaser that was to mark Brittany. The strategy is successful, the marker is forced to leave the mark, which causes Brittany to enter free to score the second goal. 20 x 0 for Hogwarts in just over five minutes.

Quinn was feeling good back at the official contests. It was as if she had never stopped for almost two years. It took a few training sessions and then old Quinn Fabray was back. She observed the movements of the Brazilian seeker, Carla Albuquerque. For the moment, there was no sign that the player had spotted the snitch. A moment of distraction and she almost collided with the Brazilian beater who flew at high speed to counter the bludger. The near collision caused the opponent to miss the stroke, which made it possible for another clean attack on Hogwarts. Santana scored again. 30 x 0.

The Brazilian team reacted. The chaser managed to get rid of Santana's marking as the bludger began to chase after her. Mike made the last line and was dribbled. The Braziliaan chaser made a pass to the free teammate and scored. Seeing the game from above, Quinn understood at once that the Hogwarts team was very good, but the Brazilians could cope. So she had better work. Besides, she didn't have much information about her direct adversary. Quinn knew she had to work to finish the game as soon as possible.

The Brazilian team equalized after a quick and brilliant counterattack generated by Brittany's quaffle steal. unfortunately, Brittany tried an individual move that ended up going wrong and she was hit by a bludger in the process. She was able to protect herself in the impact, minimizing the damage, but the protection of her arm was damaged. Hogwarts was momentarily without a chaser and suffered the turn of the game when Santana and Mike were involved by the Brazilian team's attack, passing the front of the scoreboard.

"What do you think you're doing?" Lily complained about Brittany during the first break.

"I'm trying to win!" The Ravenclaw responded at the same time.

"You can't win if you continue to think you can play alone." Lily countered and was pushed aside by Bail and Lohanne, being watched closely by the others. "What's the matter with you?"

"Hey, let's stop this discussion now." Wood stepped in and pulled Brittany to the starting group. "I want you to work on the rehearsed formations and defence in 'v' while the twins work in the 'a' position. Improvise only when the situation asks. You are intelligent enough to read the circumstances. Santana, you're the libero and the point guard, you need to speed up the transition and get back to the defence faster."

"I am trying. But you know I play better forward. Bail is a libero, not me."

Wood nodded and looked at the team. His intention was to adapt Santana into the libero position to have the current top three Hogwarts chasers on the field. But there were times when it was necessary to give up some daring in the favour of tactical balance.

"Santana, you're out. Jerome comes in."

Obviously Santana hated being replaced, especially because she was doing her best. She greeted Jerome and stepped aside beside Lily, who comforted her with a brief touch.

"Britt should have left. She's the one playing badly." Quinn whispered to Lohanne. She didn't want to argue with the other teammates. It was only the observation of someone who had read the privileged game.

"Just take the snitch, Fabray." Lohanne tapped her friend's shoulder and sat down on the bench with the others.

With Jerome on the field, Wood thought of repeating Ravenclaw's trio of victorious chasers. The team was even more balanced, as Jerome was a home-based libero. However, it wasn't possible to equate the technical level of Hogwarts houses championship with the international championship. The trio was intertwined, but was lost in creativity, since Santana could be unpredictable inside the field. The match was balanced with both defences working hard and the keepers doing a good job. Brittany, with her arm sore from the bludger, dropped the quaffle during an attack. The counterattack was deadly and the Brazilians widened their lead. Every time the Brazilians attacked, the bleachers went crazy. The wide favouritism of the public for Castelobruxo began to annoy the British team.

"Please... Quinn... get the snitch!" Santana prayed on the bench.

"Britt is doing wrong. They are exploring the side she marks." Lily watched the movement closely. "Why doesn't the coach change it?"

"I don't know." Aurora Bloom was also restless on the bench.

A moment of disorganization of the Hogwarts team Castelobruxo extend the advantage on the scoreboard by 60 points. Quinn began to feel an emptiness in her stomach, wanting the snitch anyway, because if the match were to end in the clock, Castelobruxo would win. Already realizing this, the opposing seeker began to maneuver more to disrupt Quinn than to try to catch the snitch, which was a valid and widely used strategy among the pros.

Brittany threw the quaffle and the Brazilian keeper defended by giving a whip with the back of the broom, throwing the ball directly to one of the chasers. Goal of Castelobruxo and end of second half. Brittany and Mike were replaced by Bail and Lily. It meant that the attack was less effective, but the defence was more solid. In other words, Wood wanted the team to hold on to the scorecard and started betting on Quinn.

"Good luck." Santana kissed her girlfriend's cheek before Lily stepped on the field, then looked at Quinn. "It's in your hands, Fabray. But no pressure." She winked at her friend.

The formation with Jerome, Lily and Bail managed to not let the opponent score more goals. But the attack also didn't have much effect. Even so, when Ezra Goyle managed to throw the bludger into the quaffle, breaking the Brazilian atack, Lily managed to get the leftovers and attack with everything she had, scoring and reducing the difference a bit. Quinn didn't have time to celebrate the goal. She felt the snitch buzzing in front of her and wasted no time. Unfortunately the batter of Castelobruxo noticed the movement and threw the bludger toward Quinn.

"Son of a..." Quinn could see the bludger approaching, but the snitch was also very close. "You have to give..." She said between her teeth and reached out and threw herself.

The bludger destroyed her broom and Quinn once again was in free fall. It was Bail who rescued her and put her safely on the ground. She looked at the beautiful, imposing and modern stadium, planned for its capacity to vary according to the event. The audience was silent, the game partially paralyzed. Then Quinn ran to the Hogwarts bench. She didn't have the snitch in her hands.

"Give me your broom!" She shouted to Santana, who promptly offered hers.

Quinn and the rest of the team were disappointed by the frustrated attempt, but the game needed to continue. Lily managed to steal the quaffle and passed immediately to Jerome, who managed to get free and scored his first goal in the championship. The game began to get more hardened. Castlebruxo pressed in the attack, Hogwarts was held in the defence and invested in the counterattacks. Quinn tried to take a more aggressive stance on catching the snitch. End of the third time with Castelobruxo 30 points in front.

Santana was silent as Oliver Wood passed the instructions. She was simply delivering water bottles to her teammates. If she couldn't return the match by the rules, at least she would continue to help with little things.

"You're playing hard," Santana whispered into her girlfriend's ear, which smiled and nodded.

Lily started flying again along with the team for the time it would be all or nothing for Hogwarts. The Brazilians pressed hard, but the British resisted as much as they could with a solid defence. The dedication of both sides gave off epic and nervous moments. Jerome was almost hit by a bludger and that made him neglect the defence. Gail stepped forward to close the angle of the chaser. It was in vain. Castelobruxo scored. Quinn began to move independently of the rival. She just wanted to find the snitch as soon as possible. She knew that her team wasn't have the straight to reverse the scoreboard, so the opponents could win with greater difference in the clock. The snitch was the only way out for victory.

Quinn felt the buzz again and managed to stare into the snitch. The time of the match was running out, but she had a chance. She fled. The adversary accompanied her and tried to block her, but Quinn got out of the way and still kept her eyes on the smallest ball. She stretched her arms out. It was almost. Her opponent had been left behind, time was running out, it was the final seconds, Castelobruxo was winning, Quinn leaned down. A little more, a little more... and the snitch was in her hands at the same time she heard the final whistle.

"Castelobruxo won." The judge determined.

Quinn was desperate. She was holding the snitch. The small object was safe in her hands. Hogwarts should win. The Hogwarts team went straight to the referee. Castelobruxo's team celebrated.

"This is not right. I got the snitch!" Quinn raged to the referee.

"The time is over before you can get it all," the referee snapped back.

"Get it all? You're a thief son of a bitch!" Quinn didn't use to curse, but at that moment, she was delirious, discontented.

The referee turned to her and pointed the red card. Red card in the Quidditch had the same function of the soccer: it expelled one player of the match and it suspended the player for the next one. The whole team was outraged, except for Wood, who was trying to contain the students' moods. It took a few minutes for the Hogwarts team to pull away. The referee confirmed Castelobruxo's won, causing the audience to roar in favour of the Brazilians and boo the British. The negative situation caused the team to head straight for the tent in the village of the delegations.

"I swear the referee finished the game ten seconds earlier," Santana snarled as she reached the room.

Quinn threw herself on the bed and put a pillow on her face, letting her cry of frustration fade. Lily and Brittany got in the room with an argument in progress.

"I'm not saying you were guilty," Lily snarled at Brittany, catching Santana and Quinn's attention. "I'm saying you were complacent."

"Like you've played better!"

"I did what I had to do! I don't have the same skill you have, but at least I play for the team!"

"Go to hell, Potter!"

"After you grow up, Pierce!"

"Hey!" Santana slipped between them. "Give me a break, okay?" She pressed her thumb to her temple and pressed it to the point that hurt more.

"Problems with your women, Lopez?" The four turned to the door. Ezra Goyle was at door with his twin brother.

"Jealous?" To everyone's surprise, it was Quinn who answered, taking the lead. "It must be hard for you to see that a 1,60m girl manages to attract and satisfy more women than you ever dreamed of doing."

Santana looked at Lily with some panic that her girlfriend would understand the wrong message. Lily, meanwhile, was impassive as Brittany stood beside Quinn and smiled provocatively at her teammate.

"Get out, Ezra. Go masturbate in a corner fantasizing with us. That's all you will get." Brittany's speech sounded even more embarrassing to the other two girls.

"You all can try it whenever you want. I think you'll change your minds." Ezra teased

"I don't think so. I bet Santana little finger gives more satisfaction than your filthy dick."

"Whatever, dyke!" Ezra said to Quinn before getting out of sight of the girls.

Santana walked over to Quinn. She touched her friend' shoulder and gave a half smile without the slightest humour.

"Thank you, but I don't need this kind of defence. Don't use my sexuality to feed fights, okay?"

Quinn was awkward. She didn't realize that in her desire to win the fight against Ezra, she ended up making her best friend embarrassed.

...

There was a party in front of Ilvermorny's tent due to the unlikely victory the Americans had over Uagadou. The informal party wasn't much different from those seen in teen movies. The difference, of course, was that things were more controlled due to the presence of adults in the vicinity. Anyway, boys and girls danced in beer glasses in hand to the loud sound of the latest billboard artist. Brittany and Mike watched the party in the distance for a while. She was upset not only at the defeat, but at the scolding of her friends. But she still didn't recognize that she had played badly, after all she was the one who liked to have fun above all else and didn't have the patience to take competitions to heart.

"Let's take a closer look." Brittany pulled Mike to accompany her.

"It's the Americans party."

"But the music is great and everyone speaks English. "

"We'll have to practice tomorrow."

"Come on, Mickie." She pouted in an attempt to win her boyfriend.

"No, Britt."

"Please. You love to dance. Let's dance a little. "

"No."

"If you don't go with me, I'll go alone."

"Britt, I'm not in the mood to party. We lost and our team is not very well. Didn't you see how divided we are?"

"That's why we should dance and drink a little."

"Britt, we'd better stick with the team. Try to rescue some of our unit."

"Let's do this. Let's just stay for 15 minutes at the party and then we'll head back to Hogwarts' tent."

"No, Britt."

"If you don't come with me, I'm going to the party by myself, I swear."

"Then do as you wish."

Mike returned to the Hogwarts tent, but Brittany, curious, advanced toward the party. The boys soon smiled and waved at the newcomer, and the glass of beer soon reached her hands. Brittany began to dance, showing movements so coordinated and graceful that it aroused envy and jealousy in many. It was soon to be the center of the American party.

"Does the beautiful maiden grant me this dance?" Brittany was approached by a young man wearing a hood so that she couldn't see his face. But the voice was familiar.

"That depends on whether you can handle."

"I can handle you."

As soon as the young man raised his head a little more and let the dim light illuminate his face, Brittany put her hands to her face in surprise.

"Sam?"

"Hello Brittany."

"Oh my God, Samuel? Why are you here?"

"It's nothing complicated. Swear. Can we talk?"

Brittany hesitated. Samuel was supposed to be the new dark lord who was supposed to fight Santana in the near future. But all she could see was her ex-boyfriend who was remarkable in her life. Samuel was her first time and, yes, her second love. Brittany decided to give a vote of doubt, after all, Samuel was always a gentle boy, even in moments of total intimacy. She took his hand and they walked away from the party until Samuel disappeared, taking Brittany with him.

They appeared in a beautiful gazebo where they could see the glittering lights of the city. Brittany came to the conclusion that Koldovstoretz was beautiful any time of day. She reclined on the fence of the gazebo and was silent just to look at the view.

"It seems ridiculous to think that this is considered a metropolis in our world." Samuel reclined beside his ex-girlfriend. "For me, there is no more beautiful city."

"Have you seen others?"

"No..." Samuel smiled. "But I know London. That counts a lot, does not it? "

"I guess so." Brittany stared at the ex-boyfriend. "Sam, where have you been all this time?"

"Would you believe me if I said I was in a monastery?"

"What?" Brittany frowned.

"I'm not kidding! In a monastery. Well, my parents are stuck and I've had a confusing year. Then Blaise Zabini decided to take me out of Britain and took me to a monastery in Scandinavia. I needed to rebalance."

"Oh... that means the allegations that you're involved with the prophecy..."

"Britt, come on... you know me. I would never associate with such a group. I was confused and angry, yes. But I've recovered and I'm ready to go back. Zabini and I are going to London, you know? We will provide the necessary clarifications and I will go back to Hogwarts next year to finish my education."

"Wow, Sam, this is so good. I'm happy for you, and relieved you're not who they say you are."

"Thank you."

They both admired the landscape again.

"Why are you here and not in London to clear your name?"

"I wanted to see you." Samuel began to stroke Brittany's hands. "I wanted to get to know the city, see the championship, see you. I saw the game. I saw you did your best as always."

"Oh! Thank goodness someone recognized!" Brittany held up her hands.

"You were wonderful, Britt. Always will be. In Quidditch, the way you think, the way you live without ties, with few moorings."

"Oh, Sam… you're so sweet. Thank you."

"You've always been a quasi-free spirit, Britt. If it weren't for that girl, you would be completely free."

"That girl? Who? Santana?"

"It's... no matter how much you want to be free, she's like a an anchor in everyone's life. She holds you. See you and me. You stayed with me because you thought she didn't want you anymore. Then you broke up with me thinking you had a second chance. But Santana chose Quinn, and then Potter. And you Britt? Do you have at least her friendship?"

"Not like before."

"You know ... in the monastery ... they showed me a way to make the heart free. I can show you, if you want."

"How?" Brittany asked, her eyes shining.

"Close your eyes."

Brittany trusted and closed. He felt Samuel's hands touching her hands and up her arms to her shoulder. The sensation was comforting. Brittany felt her lips being touch and then kissed. Brittany was no longer thinking about Mike, or even about Santana and the rest of the team. She was happy and calm. Then came the pain.

...

"Do you believe that?"

Lily threw a copy of the Daily Prophet on the couch where Santana was sitting with Bail. The team was scattered around the tent and out of it, waiting for the time when they could do tactical training. It was Bail who took the edition of the newspaper and checked the page that annoyed his colleague. It was a photo taken apparently before the game the day before when Santana appeared in the foreground holding hands with Lily, while Quinn and Brittany were in the background. It was embedded in Rita Skeeter's social column with the little headline: "How long will the chosen one withstand temptations?" In the two-paragraph story, the columnist tells of Santana's previous relationships, notes that the four girls are in the team of Hogwarts. Rita makes the nasty insinuation that Lily should have a lot of work with competitors so close, then Rita said Harry Potter most be too liberal to allow his daughter to get involved with a "womanizer".

"Wow!" Bail started to laugh. "This is ridiculous."

"That's embarrassing." Santana put her hands to her face. "This championship is a nightmare."

"I swear by Merlin that I will crush that insect," Lily snarled.

"I wouldn't mind if someone says I'm a womanizer." Bail hit Santana's back. "And you can't tell that Skeeter told a lie. You dated all three."

"Bail, do a favour to yourself and be quiet or I'll stick your mouth myself." Lily pointed her wand at his colleague's face. No one really took the girl's untimely gesture seriously. The situation even elicited laughter from Lohanne Stone and Aurora Bloom, who watched everything in the distance.

It was when Mike got in the tent crying. He crossed the room and went straight into the bedroom, leaving everyone confused. Oliver Wood and Padma Patil got in the tent immediately after Mike. They were pale, and their expression was so hardened that they seemed to have seen a ghost.

"Professors." Lily approached. "Did something happen?"

They both looked at the group of teenagers in the room and stared at Santana.

"There was a murder in town," Wood began to explain, while Padma couldn't hold back the tears.

"Murder?" Lily said almost whispering. "Who died?"

"Brittany." The word blurred from the coach's mouth. "Our Brittany was found dead this morning... I'm sorry, kids... I'm really sorry."

Santana felt her eyes on her. Suddenly, she could no longer distinguish voices and images. First, she vomited on the floor. Then Lily hugged her and both started crying copiously.

...

Samuel carefully opened the dark cloth. He stared at the heart. His expression was blank, without any emotion, as if the face itself were a plaster mask. He took the organ very carefully and deposited it inside the magic portion. Quickly, the organ dehydrated, as if it had been mummified in a matter of seconds. Samuel took the material out of the cauldron and carefully tucked it into a gold box. The first element of his future wand had been collected. It was a step further to obtain the most powerful wand of modern times, forged in the pure magic of darkness. He turned his neck and then popped it, trying to ease his own tension. He still had work to do.


	13. Year 7 - part 1

Gail Travis was the first to leave the express. As the train door opened, he emerged triumphantly into the light, raising the cup above his head to the delirium of the crowd of students, Hogsmeade residents and others in love with the sport applauding the triumph of teenagers in Russia. The press was also there, recording the glorious return. It was a beautiful cup, even if not very large. It looked like Jules Rimet, the World Football Cup that was stolen and melted by bandits in Brazil. It was simple, very elegant, worthy of the achievement accomplished by the school.

Behind Gail came the rest of the team. Santana waved, happy to have been the top scorer of the championship, confirming once again she was the best player who was in the position. Next to her was Lily, known for tactical discipline and team play. The Goyle twins had their fists raised to the vibrant audience, showing that they were the stiff representatives to the large house of Slytherin. The team was following the others and filling the stage set up specially for the occasion. Quinn Fabray was the penultimate to leave. She looked at the crowd with her usual serious, stoic air. It was as if she were superior to everything, a Slytherin destined to be the great witch and all the things expected her to be. There, Quinn was the triumphant Hogwarts seeker who decided on the championship after picking up the golden snitch in a beautiful and bold move.

Finally, Brittany. She went out conjuring fireworks from her wand. It was the ultimate embodiment of the joy of the team that was world champion for the first time. Brittany, the creative, half irresponsible chaser, carried the British flag in her hand. She shone with the dazzling smile, the lights that came out on her wand, with the flag she held proudly. There were confetti, there were smiles, there was glory and there was Brittany.

That was everyone's dream.

But it was just a dream.

A happy dream.

The reality was a nightmare.

The return home from the Hogwarts Quidditch team was sad, somber, bitter. Yes, the team arrived at Hogsmeade station. There was a stage set up at the station and an altar. The school was there, Hogsmeade residents and the press. Gail was the first to leave the express without medals, without the elegant trophy. He left without nods, head down, straight to occupy the side of the stage. Then the rest of the team left in a file, head down, some wiping away the tears. The team positioned itself completely on the side of the stage, all hugged in a show of unity and strength, even in the tragedy. Then came the coffin magically led to the touch of Oliver Wood's wand.

He positioned Brittany's coffin in the proper place and there was a brutal silence for a few minutes. Not even the reporters fired flashes. Whoever wore a hat, withdrew it, and bowed their heads in prayer.

Finn Hudson raised his arm with his wand pointed upwards and silently conjured lumus. Silently, all the other students repeated the gesture in respect and in homage to the tragically dead classmate. The scene moved the team and the others there, especially Mike. He fell to his knees. His strong legs failed to support him. The boyfriend was crying copiously, still feeling the burden of guilt at being the last of one to see his girlfriend alive and have left her alone.

"I shouldn't have gone out with her. I'm so sorry. I'm so sorry!"

Jerome knelt beside his friend and hugged him.

"It wasn't your fault," he whispered into his ear. "It wasn't your fault."

Santana watched the scene. She was right behind her friends, between Lily and Bail. Even touched by everything, she tried desperately not to judge Mike when her inner demon pointed its finger and accused the chaser that it was all his fault.

There were no pronouncements. Such formality had no purpose at all. Brittany was just passing through. The body should be delivered immediately to her family in London. It was the deal. Wood, waving his wand, made the coffin float once more and sent it back to the train. Only he and Minerva Mcgonagall boarded.

Minerva was desolate. It was her last as headmistress. From there, she would retire and give way to Neville Longbottom. She said Hogwarts needed young blood in charge. Minerva saw many die, she fought in two wars and emerged victorious in both. But at that moment, she had the bitter taste that there was a stain on her career with Brittany's death. From the window of the espresso, Minerva noted that the team hadn't yet left the stage. She watched Santana still hugged between Lily and Bail. She watched Mike being comforted by his friend. She observed other students who were there and considered notable, such as Rachel Berry, Finn Hudson, Hugo Weasley, Marley Rose. There was danger in the air, she could feel it. But this new generation was the one who had the responsibility to take the lead. Minerva fixed her blue eyes on Santana, the chosen one according to the prophecy. She wished the new leader mentally good luck, wisdom and serenity.

"May Merlin protect you. May Merlin protect us all."

...

It was a beautiful day. It was sunny and the clouds made a composition that left the London landscape looking like a painting. One could hear the birds singing, as if celebrating the summer arrival. Ah, summer! As was celebrated by the inhabitants of the grey London and its famous boring weather. The sun brought joy and awakened a people who revered a ray of sun and a green lawn. Kemnal Park's graveyard was with the showy, well-groomed grass that it was tempting to spread a towel and have a picnic. This, of course, for a common and uncompromising observer. But for the group that gathered around a newly opened pit, none of that mattered.

Courtney Pierce, dressed in black with a lace veil covering her head, had a good portion of the funeral ceremonial sitting, holding the hand of her youngest daughter, the 'normal' little girl, as she called it. Pierce Pierce was right next to his adopted daughter and his wife. He stared at the positioned the coffin in the elevator, waiting for the end of the Catholic rites to end. The Pierce family was small. Courtney had a single brother, who was divorced and the father of an eight-year-old girl. Pierce Pierce's family - whose baptismal name was Daniel Wang - never really cared about him, too embarrassed by the man's degree of autism. No Wang bothered to attend the funeral. There were also two neighbours there, Courtney's co-workers and a few others who went to give sympathy.

Brittany was misunderstood and considered odd for Muggles. She made no sense to them, hence the fact that she had none friends without the magical ability. On second thought, she might not make much sense in the community itself, after all, Ravenclaw was the house that housed the considered eccentrics: some of them autistic with very high IQs. Brittany wasn't autistic, but she did have her charm within her own oddity. Santana understood such a personality and was comfortable with it. No wonder they were best friends and then girlfriends. Until a fake note changed everything.

Santana and Rachel were the only witches Courtney allowed to attend the funeral because of their closeness. The chosen one was dressed in black, standing, being the last person in the right side of the presents in semicircle. Naturally she was crying. Brittany was her best childhood friend. They considered themselves inseparable, or thought it would be, to the fateful note. Even if they eventually became friends again, it was no longer the same. But this didn't diminish the sadness by the permanent absence. On the contrary: Brittany's murder left Santana depressed, with a sense of guilt in her skin.

The murder was investigated by the Russian Aurors, aided by Auror Athena Milles, thanks to a diplomatic agreement between the Ministry of Magic and the Russian Magic Parliament. Truth be told: as much as Russian culture was inconsistent with the British, they were really keen to help in the investigations and spared no effort. There was a consensus that there was a macabre ritual of treacherous magic and a spoken portrait of a witness, an American student. The sex of the probable killer was known: a teenage man.

Now the reason and who possibly did it remained a mystery. The investigators knew that Brittany was at Ilvermorny's party and that she had left at some point with a person apparently of her own free will. No one could identify who this was. This caused the investigators to suspect that the killer was someone known to Brittany, and to raise suspicions over their own colleagues at Hogwarts.

The coffin began to descend into the grave with the end of the rites. Courtney cried even harder and needed to be briefly supported by her brother. Pierce Pierce was the first to pick up a handful of dust and play in the coffin already set. So, one by one, people would do the same and say goodbye to the family that was close by. Santana was the last to pick up a handful of dust and throw it into the coffin. The gesture was simple, but extremely painful. Brittany was there. A beautiful young woman, full of energy and joy, was now just a body.

"Mrs. Pierce." Santana went to the family to offer her condolences.

"Go away, Santana," Courtney said in a trembling but harsh voice. "Go away with your sister and never show up again. I don't ever want to see people of your kind."

"My kind?"

"You know what it is. People like you killed my daughter."

Santana didn't answer. What good would it do if she started a debate before a woman and her next family that, above all, wizards and Muggles were only human?

"You may not believe it, but justice will be done. I promise. Stay in peace."

Rachel tore her sister away, and they walked away from the family, walking toward a small grove that surrounded the graveyard. From there, they apparated.

...

"Why did you run away?"

"Again, I didn't run away. It was all a misunderstanding. Mr Evans and I left Hogsmeade for the Kotti monastery, the same one that I went when I had my... crisis. I realized that Mr. Evans was on the same path, something he couldn't afford. As you know, Kotti is one of the strictest monasteries in our world. We stay confined for a year, we do our best to leave the boy in balance again. That was exactly what happened. I'm sure the Aurors have already checked the records."

Blaise Zabini smiled before the court at the Ministry of Magic at the session presided over by Hermione Granger. The Minister of Magic didn't trust Zabini and wanted, more than anyone, a good reason to send Samuel Evans and his master to Azkaban. So, she could close the prophecy, burying the future Lord of Darkness in a hole. Hermione knew that there was a coup being armed from her behind, and that she had her hands tied. The only punishment that could be applied to Zabini and Evans was a bail for being outlawed.

Quinn had been summoned as a witness, but it was her word against Samuel Evans's, as she had claimed that she recognized Samuel's voice in the deferred attacks on Santana and Lily on Hogwarts Lake just over a year ago. This was an action that could drive Samuel out. But Quinn had to admit that she had never seen Samuel's face at meetings of juvenile death eaters: he always wore a mask. Zabini disqualified Quinn's testimony by posing as an alibi for the pupil. On this case, the only officially fugitive was George Patton. But nobody knew, besides Zabini and Samuel, that the boy was dead and cremated.

Hermione was sure to stand before the Brittany Pierce killer. It was as certain as she knew to be the mother of two children. But apart from the testimony of a single person who saw Brittany apparate with a young man at a youth party, there was no record of the presence of Samuel or Zabini in Russia.

In addition, the decisions Hermione made the previous year raised many questions about the Ministry's alleged abuse of authority and questions about protection of half-bloods and Muggle-borns in exchange for pursuit of purebloods. She knew she was weakened within domestic and international settings because of the extreme measures she, backed by Harry Potter, took to contain the supremacist movements. They were actions that took more than 200 people to prison: important people like Russell Fabray.

Hermione analysed the entire Zabini story in the hope of finding any fault that would lead to a conviction. Anything. Nothing found. The records went out in order, there were witnesses and photographs. There was no way to get Zabini, nor Samuel. Nothing but a bail that she knew would be paid without major problems. Hermione also had no way of condemning the boy for a prophecy. Until the supposed dark side was revealed and crimes were committed, Samuel Evans was a free teenager to return to Hogwarts and continue the education he was entitled to.

She grunted in displeasure as the lawyer spoke final thoughts.

"Given the circumstances and the evidence presented here, Blaise Zabine and Samuel Evans are free upon bail of five thousand galleons."

There were many compliments among the investigators and their peers. Hermione slammed the hammer and closed the session, withdrawing from the court immediately. She walked down the hallways still clad in the robe, picked up the elevator and headed straight for her office. She wasn't surprised to find Harry Potter waiting for her.

"Things didn't go well." Harry nodded to his best friend.

"They are free. There's nothing I can do in the field of laws to keep them locked."

"It doesn't mean we can't keep they under surveillance. I'm sure they're involved with Brittany Pierce murder."

"What is the evidence? Until a strong enough witness miraculously appears, they haven't even had it in Russia. All the entrance and exit records of the monastery were checked, Harry. There are seven witnesses who confirm that Zabini and Evans were internals. They left only once and it wasn't on the same date as the school championship."

"Everyone knows such monastery records can be tampered with, Mione."

"But Kotti monastery is the most important of our country, it has legitimacy and credibility. It will be very difficult to prove that Druid elders lied in favour of these two."

"Yes?"

"They may also be telling the truth. Anyway, I'm following all the reports on Pierce's case: there's no forensic evidence to show the identity of the killer. Pierce wasn't even killed with an unforgivable curse or dark magic that would allow us to trace the signs of authorship. She was killed with a neat cut on the neck and the heart was meticulously extracted. It was a clean, quick death, with no signs of struggle. Whoever did this, had training and knew exactly what he was doing. He isn't an ordinary, uncontrolled killer. The Russian Aurors suspect that it's a dark magic cult action."

"I know. There is a standard, inclusive."

"What do you mean?" Hermione was curious.

"There are twelve other cases recorded with the same pattern: blade stroke and heart removed. The problem is the distance of time and space. The oldest record we found happened in 1709 in Lyon, France. The most recent one was 16 years ago in Burgas, Bulgaria. There is a consensus that this is a dark magic ritual. We just don't know to what end."

Harry went to the bookshelf and passed his wand into a compartment, revealing a small secret cellar. He poured himself a brandy, his favourite drink, and took a sip. Then he served again, this time waving to see if her friend would like a drink. Hermione nodded and Harry poured her a glass. He handed her the drink and sat down in the chair facing the table. She was silent as she watched her friend take a sip. The hidden cellar was a secret of the two. They used to have a drink to relieve tension at the most critical moments at work, however much that was seen as lack of professionalism. They always did it together, as a pact of complicity.

"Samuel Evans is going to walk loose..." Harry grunted to himself.

"I pray the prophecy doesn't happen."

"Hardly. Especially after so many confirmed facts. The prophecy was right about my daughter, unfortunately."

Hermione took a sip of brandy and frowned, as if to think better.

"Harry, if Samuel Evans emerges as the new lord of darkness, it will be disastrous. I spoke with the prime minister in an audience with King William. If major accidents, as in Voldemort's time, happen again, they will apply the contingency plan and all wizards will be subjected. It will be the collapse of our world in Britain, our way of life. We will be branded terrorists and condemned once more into the shadows."

"God forgive me, Hermione, but sometimes I wonder if we should stop giving random chance and solve the problem before it becomes a real problem."

"You're talking about committing murder. We've already discussed it here, with the Army and the Order. We can not corrupt ourselves in this way."

"No... instead we're going to leave the dirty work in the hands of a girl who isn't a leader yet, who doesn't have the slightest charisma and who is seen as a troublemaker."

"You're starting to sound like Neville. Is there anything else to your sudden disgust about Santana Lopez?"

Harry Potter snorted and ran his hand through his hair, revealing the famous scar.

"What happened?" Hermione sat down in her chair behind the desk.

"Lily wants to go with Santana to the United States."

"And? What does it cost her to spend a week or two with her girlfriend? I am sure Mrs. Corcoran will be able to impose limits and discipline. Besides, our people will be around making them safe."

"Lily told Ginny, who told me... my little girl is not a little girl anymore." Harry grunted and finished his second glass of brandy. "This youth no longer has the commitment we had, Mione."

Harry was puzzled when the best friend burst out laughing. Hermione took the rest of the brandy in her glass and then took a deep breath.

"I don't believe we'll argue about it in my office!" Hermione shook her head. "Harry, you forgot very fast that we were teenagers. I just didn't lose my virginity earlier with Ronny because we were running away and you were with us all the time. And as far as I remember, the first thing you and Ginny did after the war wasn't exactly take a cup of tea."

"It's still different. You also have a daughter, Mione. What if you knew about Rose?"

"Oh Harry, Rose has pop this cherry a long time ago. The only thing I hope is that she is responsible enough."

"Do you say that with such tranquility?"

"What can I do? It's her life. It's her choices. Rose is an adult, has left home, is starting her own career. She owns her own nose. I worry a lot more about Hugo than Rose, to be honest."

"Why?"

"He doesn't talk about what is happening to him. As far as I know, he and Rachel Berry beak up. Her decision. What worries me is that Hugo is very sensitive and is still very attached to this girl."

"Santana Lopez's sister?" Hermione nodded to her friend, who shook her head. "What a pair."

"I didn't expect him to marry with his first girlfriend. Teens change their minds. Glad they change."

"It's not Lily's case," Harry growled again. "Her fate with Santana Lopez is written in the stars." He gestured to reinforce discontent.

"As far as I can remember, Ginny also never changed her mind about you, even when she dated other boys. Sometimes it doesn't even need to be prophesied."

Harry Potter settled into his chair still uncomfortable with the content of the conversation.

"Do you think I should let Lily go with her girlfriend?"

"If your fear is that Lily has sex again with Santana Lopez, I say you need to get over it. Now if you have another reason, I can give you my honest opinion, although I think this is a discussion that concerns you, Ginny and Lily." Hermione got up from the chair and walked around the room, arranging some paperwork with the magic touch of the wand. "Honestly, Harry, we have bigger concerns about Lopez then her sex life with Lily."

"What do you suggest?"

"Continue our planning and make good use of the press and advertising."

Harry nodded. Gaining public opinion was of great importance in every process.

...

The world community of wizards was small and that events that happened in one country could affect another deeply. Europe, for example, was divided into three major blocs: the Western, the Eastern/Scandinavian, and the British/Irish. If something serious happened in France, it got repercussions specially in Portugal, Spain and Germany, as if it happened in the neighbouring street. The emergence of a dark lord with an appreciation for destruction, as Voldemort did, affected the entire continent. Political influence was another important point. Each country had its own organization, but since there was a very strong interdependence, administrative instabilities in Austria, whose community of wizards amounted to 945 individuals, could bring very important reflexes throughout the Western bloc. The press was no different.

The repercussion of the murder of Brittany Pierce in the wizarding world was enormous. It has stamped headlines from several countries in Europe. After all, she was an adolescent full of life, beautiful, a member of the Quidditch team of the most important European school of witchcraft and the country with the largest wizarding community on the continent, and one of the largest in the world. The murder was the cover of the Daily Prophet for two weeks. Even as he left the front page, reporters continued to follow the case in small matters on the inside pages.

Rita Skeeter's social column had a great audience when exposing the private and affective life of Brittany, revealing, even the identity of her biological father: Elliot Smuges, a squib that, rejected by the family, went to live with the muggles. That changed the whole story and Brittany could no longer be considered muggle-born, but half-blood. Brittany was the result of his brief relationship with Courtney Pierce. Elliot left his pregnant girlfriend and went to live with an older woman in New York who funded his studies so he could be an electrical engineer. He was currently the maintenance manager of the city subway. Not even the Ministry of Magic had this information, which also revealed a certain imprecision in the registration and control of the pureblood, half-blood, muggle-born, and squib population (which was also included in the census).

Rita Skeeter's little note reverberated and turned into an full interview with Elliot Smuges himself on the American wizarding newspaper Maj Yanke, edited right in New York.

"If I could, I would crush this bastard." Santana grunted as she read the note on the Maj Yankee while visiting the secret neighbourhood in town. "How can a man abandon his pregnant girlfriend and then say that he is devastated by Britt's death? She's never met this guy. Her father was always Pierce Pierce."

Rachel glanced up at the interview in question to read the headline and the subtitle. She thought her sister had to hang up a little. That she needed to rest her head of trouble in London and the Ministry of Magic to enjoy the holidays.

"Yeah..." Rachel said trying to disguise the slight lack of patience with her sister's prolonged mourning. Santana was obsessed with Brittany's murder. She felt guilty for being angry just moments before the death of her ex-girlfriend and friend. "Why don't you buy some coffee to us?"

Of course Rachel was saddened by Brittany's death. But unlike her sister, she knew obsessing wouldn't do her any good. Rachel thought the best thing to do was to continue her own life and leave it to the authorities: she was a true Slytherin after all. Rachel turned to the figure of the teenager dazzled by the neighbourhood in front of her and decided to show it to Quinn Fabray. Rachel hardly believed that Shelby had allowed her roommate to go on vacation with her family, since Quinn didn't have anywhere to go and Harry Potter didn't allow Lily to go to New York to stay with Santana alleging "security issues".

Quinn was another story. Her guardian, Athena Milles, was involved in the investigations and couldn't stay full time with Quinn that summer. Harry then asked Juan a favour, who in turn asked Shelby to accept Quinn, including financial compensation. The singing and theater teacher accepted Quinn, but didn't want the money. As Shelby was protected by American Aurors for free, she find it unjust to receive a shelter for a close friend of her daughters who needed a place.

Obviously, Quinn loved to accompany her friends to New York. She had never been to America before and was charmed by the metropolis. Even the wizard district of the city was very peculiar in relation to Diagon Alley: it was more modern. When Rachel approached, for example, she was in awe of a shop that sold perfectly adapted Muggle technology products to work with magic.

"What is this little box?" Quinn asked Rachel pointing from the window.

"It's an old iPod. Used to store music."

"Old?"

"It's technology surpassed by Muggles. Today they basically just listen music in streaming." Or seeing the doubt on Quinn's face, Rachel elaborated better. "On the internet, you know? That thing that can not work in our world. But an iPod, on the other hand, can be very useful for us. It manages to store far more music than a vinyl record or a K7 tape. I think I'll buy one myself... my mother gave me some georges."

George was the name of the American currency. A muggle would think the name of the money was a tribute to George Washington, the first president of the United States. In fact, the George in question was George Blinsplasguentov, the first American banker to set the rules on London's financial system. He had the idea of honouring himself by baptizing the new currency. But since his last name was ridiculous, he chose his first name.

"Fascinating."

"What's fascinating?"

"Your muggle mother have American wizard money."

"My muggle mother has been going here since she and Sue Sylvester were close. She says the best coffee shop and candy store in New York is here. And my mother is a coffee addict."

"Nice..."

Quinn and Rachel saw some more windows. Outside the store of adapted technology, organization and architectural standard, the neighbourhood was a commercial center very similar to the Alley Diagonal. There were cafes, patisseries, bookstores, second-hand stores, portion stores, sporting goods, magical items, musical instruments (Shelby liked instruments that never bothered), candy shops, tricks, clothes, brooms, wands, bakeries , owl mail, pubs, a bank (the only one that existed in the country), beauty salon, a hospital, one of the entrances to Congress, the commercial headquarters of the Brooklyn's Rotten Apples, who ran the Maj Yankee newspaper, a hotel, an Auror post, and even a small literacy school that tended to serve more affluent families.

"Are you hungry?" Rachel asked. "The bar here has great snacks."

"Of course. I think your sister is buying us coffee."

"Oh yeah. I almost forgot."

"But we can drink some beer after that."

"No, we can't"

"No? Why?"

"You must be 18 do buy some alcoholic drinks."

"Really?" Quinn frowned.

"I also prefer London in certain respects. You British may be more rude, ironic and archaic. But Americans are definitely more hypocritical."

"You British?" Quinn gave a small smile. "Said the girl who spent more time in Britain nowadays. You are already contaminated with our accent... lightly, but you are."

"Strength of coexistence."

"Sure yankee."

Rachel smiled at her friend. Quinn had her moments beyond the Stoic mask that used to be at Hogwarts. In fact, Rachel still remembered with some flattery the day she kissed Quinn Fabray.

"What?" Quinn asked, taking Rachel out of the brief trance.

"What?"

"Looks like you were in the moonlit world, Berry."

"Is that..."

The conversation was interrupted with a tumult that formed 50 meters away. The amount of people and the dust raised didn't allow to see exactly what happened, but it was evident that it was a duel. Two Aurors appeared from their posts amid the chaos. Rachel and Quinn were afraid to join the circle of observers, but their curiosity was greater.

"Santana!" Rachel screamed as she saw her sister in the center of the commotion, hunched over as if she had caught her breath. Meanwhile the two Aurors were handcuffing two men apparently in their thirties.

"You will die! You will die half-blood sinner, in the name of our lord!" The man shouted in self-surrender.

"Shut up, asshole," Santana shouted.

"Santana!" Rachel broke the circle and ran to her sister's side, but was intercepted by a woman in the middle of the path, who knocked her down.

"She's my sister!" Santana stood up and pushed the auror that had knocked over Rachel. "Are you okay?" She offered her sister a hand.

"I'm ok." Rachel accepted the help and stood up dusting the street from her clothes. Meanwhile, Quinn approached the two cautiously.

"Are you okay?" The Slytherin asked. "What happened?'

"These idiots tried to kill me! I just defended myself! "Santana said annoyed.

"I need to get you to our headquarters." Auror touched Santana's shoulder. "We need to record and clarify this incident."

Quinn and Rachel exchanged glances. If they were in London, no one would stand in the way of Santana because she had protected herself. But things were different in the United States.

"I'm not in the mood." Santana pulled her arm. "Just leave me alone, okay?"

"Miss, I think you'd better not resist."

"Resist? I was attacked and you want to arrest me?" Santana raged. "Where's Sue Sylvester when I need her?"

"We need your testimony." The Auror came back and held Santana by the arm.

"San... we'll go with you." Rachel tried to ponder her tone.

"No. I will not testify for defending myself! An asshole tried to kill me and these people treat me like a criminal? I will not submit to it. Want to see my documents? I have American and British dual citizenship. You may check my identity in the records, I'm not going to any place."

"Santana Lopez, you're arrested on behalf of the New York Department of Law and Justice for not cooperating with the authorities." Auror handcuffed her. Santana tried to apparate, but she couldn't because the handcuffs had anti-apparition protection. "You have the right to remain silent..."

"Rachel!" Santana shouted at her sister as she was being taken. "Call my mother and try contact Sylvester!"

Rachel was on the verge of panic, but Quinn hugged the younger girl and nodded to Santana.

"We'll take care of it, Lopez!"

...

Santana was sitting alone in a clean, grey room. She was cuffed and silent. The wand had been confiscated, but she could get rid of the handcuffs anyway. She just didn't do it to avoid further confusion. As Rachel showed the wizarding district of Manhattan to Quinn, Santana was in front of the cafe waiting for the delivery of the request she had made for her, Quinn and Rachel. She was surprised by two men. Santana instinctively conjured protego horribilis, ricocheting the avada kedavra that would be destined to her. Luckily, no one around was hit by the unpardonable curse. The fact is that Santana fought and beat the two opponents before even the Aurors arrived.

Someone opened the door to the living room. It was Sue Sylvester, but Santana was no longer sure she was safe or not. Sylvester sat facing Santana in a formal, professional pose.

"Santana Marie Lopez, daughter of the American no-maj Shelby Marie Corcoran, and the Britsh wizard Juan Drini Lopez. You have a half-sister named Rachel Berry, who is an American citizen. You are 16 years and 10 months old, your social record in the British muggle world is 13567-54. Santana Lopez, is this information correct?"

"What a joke..."

"Santana Marie Lopez!" Sylvester said stiffly. "Is this information correct?"

"Yes ma'am."

"Can you tell us what happened this afternoon in the village?"

"Two men attacked me suddenly and I defended myself."

"Do you know why these two men tried to assault you?"

"Don't you know why two assholes tried to kill me? I'm sorry, Sylvester, but I don't understand this antics. I shouldn't be here."

"You're right, Miss Lopez. Someone like you, who is under an international treaty of protection, shouldn't go out on your own. Do you understand the size of your irresponsibility?"

Santana was silent. It was better not to say anything than to explode in anger. In addition to being involved in a prophecy, she had still become a prisoner, while Samuel Evans was back in the Londrina scene as if nothing had happened. That sounded like a joke to Santana.

"Santana Lopez, do you understand your obligations while protected by an international treaty of protection?"

"Yes, ma'am." Santana began to cry over the feeling of helplessness and humiliation for being punished for simply taking a walk in the city with her sister and he friend.

"I talked to your mother and we will immediately go to Kohadjo until your boarding back to London. There, you will stay away from this mess and you will start practicing again. Understood?"

"Is my mother going with us?"

"Yes. Your mother, your sister and your friend are going with us."

Santana nodded and tried to wipe away the tears, but the frustration was enormous. It seemed like everything was falling apart in his life. In a way, it really was.

...

"The said defenders of freedom are the greatest oppressors." Zabini said before a crowd of 14 people inside the public assembly in Hogsmeade.

The assembly was basically an upstairs hall of the instrument store where residents (usually merchants) used to gather to discuss issues of interest to the small community, such as street cleaning, taxes, festivities, and administration issues public in general, since none of the wizarding villages and cities in Britain didn't have a city hall. Any resident could call a public meeting: simply put the notice in the call space in the station and specify the subject.

This is what Zabini did: he called a meeting to discuss the new security actions and policies taken under Hermione Granger. It was a smart move on his part. By placing his questions within a public forum, no one could accuse him of conspiracy: after all, Hermione's very own despatches to the Ministry of Magic permitted meetings held under such conditions.

"The magic minister does what she does because she has the full support of the Aurors. It has the support of the system which is naturally oppressive to promote laws and policies that exclude the pure, traditional blood families. Think well, my friends, in the perversity of these decisions. Dozens are arrested not because they committed crimes of public order, but because they were proud to be purebloods. Under the command of Granger with the unconditional support of Harry Potter, we are being condemned to remain silent, to accept while the government continues its policy of replacing all purebloods with half-bloods and Muggle-born. The plan is perverse. It is a plan of power, so that such policies continue for more than 50 years."

"What makes you think so?" A neighbour asked.

"I know from very reliable sources that Potter, Granger, and members of Dumbledore's former Army are preparing the new generation that will replace them, even manipulating a prophecy. You see, my friends, they are preparing a girl who is the daughter of migrants, half-blood and lesbian to take over when Granger leaves. They will put this girl to command under the pretext that she is the supposed to be the chosen one."

"Do you think the prophecy is false?"

"Totally false, my dears. I learned in my long passage in the monastery that prophecy was made. They are so perverted that they chose my protege, whose parents are imprisoned, to say that this boy is near dark lord. Samuel Evans was a scapegoat because he was born on a specific date. The facts speak for themselves."

"Now, please explain me, Zabini." Oscar Greenland, owner of the musical instrument store, was irritated. He didn't get involved with politics, but he had great appreciation for Harry Potter and the Army. "You're talking about the people who gave their all to bring you know who down. Potter and Granger fought while, if I remember correctly, you and the Slytherins fled like rats. Now you're saying they're power-hungry dogs?"

"Yes, dear friend. I ran away from that fight. But I won't run away from this. I won't steal from protecting an innocent boy from slander. I will give my life for Samuel Evans in our fight against this system. Sam, please stand up and show yourself. "

Samuel, who was sitting in the corner in silence, went to the center of the room to stand beside the mentor.

"I've never had anything against the Potters, the Weasleys and even against Santana Lopez. I never understood why they chased me at school. Lopez started chasing me when my longing and loved Brittany preferred me to her. She wasn't satisfied until she convinced Brittany to finish me off... and all this for what? Just to break the heart of my sweet Britt by getting involved with Quinn Fabray and Lily Potter at the same time, in an act of pure promiscuity. Don't be deceived. She's evil."

Most of those present thought it was bullshit. But three people in the room who were convinced by this story. One of them, Gilbert Fillemon, Hogsmeade's richest man, owner of the sporting goods store and a quarter of the village real estate. He was also a pureblood considered moderate. If he believed Samuel, a lot of people would follow him.

...

The three girls were sitting on the living room rug with a bottle of tequila on the coffee table and three cups of shots from Sylvester's collection. It was a tedious afternoon when Shelby had traveled to New York because of work and was accompanied by Sue Sylvester. Rachel suggested playing truth or dare, but Santana decided to do something she considered more "adult."

"Let's play Never have I ever." Santana quickly explained the rules to Quinn, who accepted the challenge. The three glasses were filled with the alcoholic beverage and Santana found it well to start with an easy one. "Never have I ever kissed a boy." She smiled when Quinn and Rachel had to drink.

"Never have I ever stole candies from Honeydukes." It was Rachel's turn to see Santana and Quinn drink. "Santana!"

"Who ever stole some candy from that store?" Santana tried to justify herself. "I was in sophomore year and Quinn challenged us. Me, Brittany and Sugar. Steal a candy without being caught. Brittany and Sugar gave up, but I did it, I stole some jelly beans and then I challenged Quinn back."

"I stole chocolate frogs." Quinn smiled.

"I don't believe it, Santana Marie Lopez!"

"Don't do so much drama, Rach. It was just a dumb bet. Your turn, Fabray. "

"Never have I ever won a serenade." Quinn asked and only Rachel drank. Quinn stared at Santana. "Aren't you going to drink?"

"No."

"But Lily sang to you that day at the bar."

"That was the payoff of a bet, not a serenade. My turn. Never have I ever said I love you without really wanting to." Only Rachel drank and Santana rolled her eyes. "Poor Hugo Weasley. He was a delusion."

"Fuck yourself, Santana. Never have I ever French kissed my best friend." Rachel retaliated and smirked as Santana and Quinn drank.

"This is not going to work. We're going to continue to ask questions that we're sure will make the other drink." Santana pondered. "It's not that funny."

"We can play differently," Rachel suggested. "We can write questions, put them in that jar and sort them out. Whoever refuses to respond will have to drink. The first one who gets really drunk loses the game. What do you think?"

"Can be."

Quinn agreed, but Santana wasn't very willing to write questions. Still, Santana decided to play. She was already little drunk. Rachel handed the papers, they wrote down the questions and put the papers in the jar. The draw was done by magic, to be more impartial. "How many people have you kissed?" Santana read the first question and turned to Rachel. "Oh really? This question?"

"Curiosity is mine, San." Rachel defended herself.

"So you'll be the first to respond or drink." Santana flashed a fake smile and set the glass in front of her sister. "I'll love seeing you in an alcoholic coma."

"Three people!" Rachel snapped.

"Three?" Quinn frowned. "Hugo and... Hudson?" She knew she was the third person. She remembered the day she and Rachel kissed one of the versions of the room she needs at Hogwarts.

"Did you kiss Hudson?" Santana looked disgusted, but far from surprised. "Who was the other person?"

"I just have to answer the paper question." Rachel warned, teasing the two older girls.

"I kissed three people. And you Fabray?"

"Five, I think."

Santana stared, leaving Quinn flushed.

"Five?" Santana frowned. "Does this have to do with that stupid game?"

"Yes."

"Oh!" Santana was embarrassed. "I'm sorry, Quinn."

"My choice, San." Quinn tried to control her own emotions. "I'll sort out the next question." She conjured the paper to fly to her hand. "How many people have you had sex with? Come on, Rachel!"

"My questions, my curiosities. Sorry if they're being drawn. By the way, my number is zero."

"Still good, elf," Santana warned. "One."

"Well I suspected you and Lily had sex." Rachel nudged her sister.

"It's none of your business, dwarf. Fabray? What about you?"

Quinn looked at the sisters. It was a subject she didn't want to talk about at all. She took the glass and drank the shot of tequila. The liquid trickled down her throat, but it was better than ruining the night by talking about the rape she had suffered when she was 14. Rachel and Santana wanted to insist, but rules were rules. Rachel was the next to pull the paperwork.

"What's your biggest fear?" The handwringing was Quinn's. Rachel thought for a moment. "Losing my voice and not being able to sing anymore. It would be like losing my soul."

Santana took the glass and filled it with tequila. She drank it all in one gulp and then looked at the other two.

"I can't answer that question. Security issue, they say."

"Sign you don't trust me." Quinn was hurt.

"It's not personal, Fabray. But what about you? Are you going to answer or are you going drink it?"

"My father," Quinn replied. "I'm terrified of this man. It will be great if I never see him again in my life."

Rachel and Santana exchanged glances. They didn't have perfect parents, but they were okay. They wondered how awful it could have happened to Quinn for her to be terrified of her own father.

"How would you describe Brittany in one word?" Santana read the question she wrote. "Luminous."

Quinn filled the glass and drank the second shot. To Santana's surprise, Rachel did the same.

"How so?" Santana was offended by the other two, after all, it was an easy question.

"It's the rules of the game, San," Rachel reminded her. "Drink if you don't know or do not want to respond." Rachel took out another paper and read. "Would you kill someone? Of course not!"

"I would." Quinn lowered her voice. "For the right person, for the right cause or if it's a life or death case... yes, I would kill."

"Not that I would kill..." Santana also lowered her voice. "I don't have a choice. It's only a matter of time before I find myself in a situation where I have to kill Evans."

"Well..." Quinn took out a piece of paper and read it. "How do you define your sexuality?" Quinn sighed. "I'm definitely not straight. I never stopped to think about it... do I have to drink it?"

"No need. I think you were sincere enough." Santana smiled. "I'm a lesbian and there's nothing new about it."

Rachel toyed with the glass. Finally, she took the bottle and drank a shot, causing the exchange of glances between Quinn and Santana.

"What's the best book you've ever read?" Santana looked at the question that she'd raffled and stared at Quinn. "Didn't you have anything better to ask, Fabray?"

"I was running out of ideas." Quinn smiled. "Tale of two cities, Charles Dickens." Seeing two scowl brows, Quinn defended herself. "What? I can't like muggle literature? There's only one sitting at Hogwarts. All the classics of the Victorian era, Shakespeare, Hemingway, Fritzgerald... it's good stuff."

"I said you spend too much time in the library." Santana took a shot.

"I don't have an answer." Rachel also took a shot and picked up a paper. "Have you ever masturbated? Santana!" She protested, recognizing her sister's handwriting.

"You asked about the number of sex partners and criticized my question?"

"This is private!"

"Basically, all the questions are private," Quinn mused. "Yes, I do."

"Ironically, it's easier to have sex at Hogwarts than to masturbate alone and in peace. I can say yes, but it was never at school." Santana replied, looking at her sister for an answer.

"Yes... but I won't give any details."

"What's your biggest dream?" Quinn needed a few seconds to ponder, and finally decided to take a shot.

"Shine on Broadway." Rachel responded with some pragmatism.

"Waking up and discovering that prophecy never existed." Santana said.

"Who would you pick up at Hogwarts (not your girlfriend)?" Rachel read her own question. "Finn Hudson." She answered already showing her drunk state.

"If you kissed him, he doesn't count anymore," Santana warned.

"My answer is valid, dear sister. He's not my boyfriend."

Quinn drank. The person she would be with (maybe the two people) was in front of her and she was not comfortable in revealing.

"I don't know. Honestly I don't know." Santana answered uncertainly. She was also drunk and could no longer have clear thoughts. "Honestly I can't think of anyone. I mean, we dated, Quinn, and if I didn't have Lily in my life, maybe we could date each other again. The truth is, I'm not attracted to many girls. I literally dated all the girls I was attracted to." She picked up a piece of paper and read it. "What's the worst thing you've done so far?"

Santana and Rachel drank, but Quinn was quiet.

"Having betrayed you." Quinn stared at Santana. "Even now, it hunts me every day."

"I've already forgiven you, Fabray."

"But it will always exist between us."

Rachel giggled, was already losing control of herself, and picked a last question.

"Would you kiss the person to your right?" The question was her own and she started to laugh because the person on her right at that moment was Santana. "If we were playing truth or dare, perhaps."

"I dare you to kiss your sister." Quinn said I little horny with the possibility. It was like a fantasy she didn't know she had. And her drunk state didn't help.

"No way, Fabray."

"So, I dare we all kiss each other."

Quinn, in a bold action, hold Rachel's neck and kissed her lips. It was gentle. Then, she broke the kiss with Rachel and kissed Santana. A full open month with tongues kiss. It was hot.

"Wow!" Rachel wondered when they broke the kiss.

"Now, you two." Quinn insisted. "Or drink."

Santana drank.

"Something wrong, Rach?" Santana asked with a hint of cynicism.

"Nothing, I'm fine, let's continue the previous game..."

Quinn picked up a paper and didn't read the written question. Instead, she invented a small trap to feed her horny state. "Have you seen pornography? Yes, I once leafed through a clandestine magazine that circulates among the Slytherin boys. It had photos of women sucking men, sex from behind, woman fingering and kissing woman. These things."

"Yes, I saw some videos before." Santana said not wanting to give more details.

Rachel drank because she had already lost control of her reasoning. It was game over for her.

"What will her punishment be?" Quinn speculated with Santana.

The teenagers were startled when they heard the door open. Santana's eyes widened as she saw Shelby at the door and then she looked at the almost empty bottle and at the glasses. Santana could do a quick concealment spell, but she didn't have enough reflex. Shelby didn't take ten seconds to read the situation.

"Weren't you in New York, mom?" Rachel said in a loose smile.

Shelby gave a killer look to the older girls before allowing herself to be hugged by her inebriated young daughter.

"Hi, Mom... I missed you! You left us here in this boring city. Dani and the twins are not even here to sing with me." Rachel said with her tongue rolled up.

"You three are going to take a cold shower while I do my miraculous mix to cut drunkenness. Then we'll talk!" Seeing the girls didn't move, Shelby screamed. "Now! Go!"

The girls ran as they could toward the bathroom. Rachel chuckled, but Santana and Quinn understood that something serious had happened to get Shelby and Sylvester back sooner than planned.

Rachel used one of the bathrooms, but Quinn and Santana walked into the other available bathroom in the house.

"I'm not going to have a cold shower!"

Santana switched on the hot water. She took off her clothes, not caring if she was being watched by Quinn. After six years together at Hogwarts, they found themselves naked on several occasions in Slytherin's locker rooms. The difference is they never shared a shower, nor that drunk and kind of horny. This wasn't part of Santana's plans and was rather a surprise when Quinn entered the shower stall. Quinn kissed Santana without warning. The chosen one corresponded at first, but then she backed away and broke the kiss.

"Quinn... we can't..." Santana admitted to herself that it was difficult to refuse a beautiful girl like Quinn, knowing everything she felt for her, especially when her skins were touching each other, including breasts, under an inviting shower. Not to mention Santana was still drunk, which made her even less resilient, and Quinn was definably horny.

"Why not? Lily doesn't have to know!" Quinn touched Santana's sex and caressed her, making everything more difficult.

Santana moaned with the caress. They both kissed again.

"I always wanted to know what it would be like with you," Quinn whispered in Santana's ear as she led her friend's hand to her own sex. "Please, San, do it." She kissed Santana again.

Quinn moaned as she felt Santana begin to caress her, and then penetrated her with her fingers. Quinn hugged Santana, she was enjoying drunk sex for the first time in her life. Actually, Quinn was enjoying sex of all kinds for the first time in her life. Santana was pumping her fingers inside, and it was feeling so good. She didn't even notice that her friend's movements at that point were almost mechanical. Quinn bit Santana's shoulder when the orgasm came, as she wanted to claim her. Then they heard Shelby slam the door. They didn't notice that they were delaying. Santana removed her fingers from Quinn's vagina and it was as if she had returned to reality.

"Sorry..." She stepped out of the shower. Santana was suddenly so lost. "That shouldn't have happened."

Santana wrapped herself in the towel and hurried out of the bathroom. She no longer needed the gourd that her mother had prepared to be sober again. She put on the first clean clothes she found and left the room as soon as Quinn got in. She even combed her hair. Santana was mortified. Absolutely mortified that she had no control over her own actions. She shouldn't have done it, she should never have touched Quinn Fabray. Yes, she loved Quinn. She loved Quinn so much she forgave the betrayal when Quinn delivered her to death eaters in an ambush. But the love she felt for Quinn wasn't the same love she felt for Lily. That one was true and pure. What did she do? Santana was disturbed, confused. Was it alcohol? Was it frustration? Was it guilt? Definitely was guilt.

She went to the kitchen. Rachel was already there, drinking such a gourd. Shelby offered her a large glass.

"Drink holding your breath! Sue even put an ingredient that I didn't even want to know."

"It's the healing of the gods, Corcoran." Sylvester said without much humour. "Much more effective than your superstitious no-maj mix."

Santana drank the mix, and in fact it was as if drunkenness had been cut off almost instantly. It made her feel worse, for she had a clearer view of what just happened between her and Quinn. Santana felt her stomach clench. Quinn went into the kitchen and also drank the mix with Sylvester's potion. While Santana was clearly uneasy, Quinn was the opposite.

"I think we can talk now." Shelby positioned herself next to Sue Sylvester. "Santana, I received a letter from your father and Harry Potter. They want you and Rachel to finish school in Ilvermorny. "

"Why?" Rachel asked as Santana was apparently muted.

"Samuel Evans got the right to go back to Hogwarts," Sue Sylvester added. "Granger and Potter want to keep you from going to school. Especially because a massive campaign is underway to make people believe the prophecy is false. They want to save you, Lopez, and basically play the responsibility for your protection on our backs."

"Then don't do it," Santana said in a choked voice. "Don't protect me. I can protect myself! If he's going to be at Hogwarts, I need to be there too, or I'll be labeled a coward and a liar."

"Not to mention that this would validate all the negative publicity they must be doing about your name." Quinn said still with odd calm and rationality.

"Santana, you are still a minor, and your father gave me your guard. I think you should stay. I won't let you get hurt."

"I'm going to emancipate myself in three months, mom. Under the laws of my country, 17 is adulthood and I will own my own nose. I need to get back to London and then to Hogwarts. That's what I'm going to do."

"If that's what you want, that's fine," Sylvester said.

"What?" Shelby panicked. "To send her to London is to send her to the slaughterhouse. I'm not going to do this to my daughter, I don't care if she's considered an adult at 17. I don't give a damn!"

"Mom, I can't get away from my problems. What will be will be. I'm sorry." Santana wiped away a tear, but she didn't know exactly why she was crying. Maybe it was about everything.

"If you want to go back, all right," Sylvester said with some disdain. "But I recommend you staying here for this month and prepare yourself physically and psychologically. Your opponent is smarter than you can imagine. It's prudent for you to practice as much as you can."

"I accept on one condition. Rachel needs to practice too, and Quinn needs to leave."

"Why?" Rachel protested.

"Because otherwise I'll get in the way," Quinn said, still keeping her cool. It was the price she should pay for loving someone who didn't belong to her.

...

Lily was incredulous at the content of the debate between colleagues. She had sneaked into a public debate meeting in London with Hogwarts students. Almost all the prefects were there, as were the newly appointed head boy and girl of Hogwarts: Finn Hudson and Melissa Brown. At the center of the stage was Samuel Evans speaking like an exalted pastor.

"Have you ever wondered why a Gryffindor was infiltrated into Slytherin? Why did her best friend and ex-lover report her own father? Why is she and the Harry Potter daughter dating? Don't you see that this is a dirty game involving up to the succession of charges? And here we are falling like ducklings in a game of explicit manipulation. Now I explain why this happens. It is nothing more than a plan designed to destroy our way of life. They want to wipe out our world until there's only the muggle way of life left!"

Lily flushed with anger. It wasn't just the girlfriend he was slandering, but her family as a whole. It was as if everyone was involved in an absurd conspiracy. She even stood up to counter Samuel's accusations, but Finn, who was nearest, asked for the floor.

"That's not what happened. It's not what is happening. Harry Potter disarmed one of the greatest corruption schemes in history, disarticulating groups planning attacks on half-bloods and Muggle-borns. That's the truth you're distorting. As for Santana... she's in a prophecy she never wanted to be a part of. Still, Evans, she's been surrounded and attacked without even being here to defend herself."

"What an interesting change of posture, Hudson." Samuel scoffed. "We shared the same room at Hogwarts, we walked together, and all you had to say was terrible things about Santana Lopez's unacceptable behaviour against you and dozens of other colleagues. What has changed? Say it. I'm curious."

"I knew her. That's what has changed. I can say that behind all the attitude there is a good heart. I can't say the same as yours."

"Interesting..." Samuel smiled. "You show yourself to be a very detached man in defending someone who stole your girlfriend and called you an idiot whenever you had the opportunity. Maybe Santana is right under one point. Maybe you're an idiot."

Most of the boys throbbed in Samuel's favour, leaving Finn out of action. Lily had seen enough. She finally revealed the presence and walked in silence to Finn. Ignoring Samuel completely, she took his friend's hand and pulled him out of the forum.

"No matter what they say, your heart is on the right side." Lily insisted on speaking out loud and pulled her friend out.

Melissa Brown watched Lily and Finn leave the room. She felt jealous, betrayed. Lily cared only for Finn and not her? Lily didn't even congratulate her on being chosen as the Hogwarts Head Girl. But it wouldn't look that way. She swore to herself that Lily would learn to respect her.

...

Santana reading for the third time the letter sent by Lily. She couldn't believe how things started to get bad in such a short time. She knew that the extremist voices were never hushed, but then the speed with which they were returning to the scene was frightening. On the other hand, it was precisely Blaise Zabini, with Samuel Evans as a faithful squire, who was at the forefront of these new discussions. Her name was on everyone's lips after the two decided to reveal the prophecy, but in a distorted way. From Lily's message, Santana's name was being destroyed, as if she were Voldemort's true reincarnation.

" _You must seriously think about not coming this year. I'm worried, San. I'm worried about what might happen to you._ "

Santana scratched her forehead. She was at Sue Sylvester's place. They were difficult days for everyone. To complete the wave of bad luck, her grandfather, Shelby's father, suffered a fulminating heart attack and died. Shelby rushed to Ohio to stay with her mother and plan the funeral that Santana wouldn't attend. Anyway, it was another person in Santana's life who died in a short time. The difference was that she hadn't the slightest sympathy for the deceased in question. If she couldn't fake it, at least she would not disturb, or criticize, or make ironies about her grandfather in front of the others.

Santana made a number of considerations about Lily's letter. She wasn't proud, but she didn't have cockroach blood either. Either way, she would go to London and see with her own eyes and ears what was happening. She had things to deal with Lily too. What had happened between her and Quinn still burned in her skin. Santana was feeling smothered with everything. Merlin help her, but she's going into the eye of the hurricane and face the enemy.


	14. Year 7 - part 2

All normal in London. The country was recovering economically after leaving the European Union, the population lived optimistic times, and the government continued to articulate the old power games that sometimes brought some benefits to the population, or concerned only their own interests and their peers. Until the front of the Pub Leaked Cauldron, the subject of the time was the great victory of Manchester City's turn over Liverpool in a spectacular bid by the Brazilian Gabriel de Jesus. As good Englishpersons, they also commented cynically about the new elections and how the candidates from both the Labour Party and the Conservative Party seemed to be unsuccessful and frustrated characters out of a bad Nick Hornby novel. They also complained about how much the price of beer was too high for the watery taste coming from their glasses, but that they would drink anyway.

Santana, like a good Londoner, missed the English humour she could practice in the neighbourhoods she liked to go in the city. London exuded life in its nerve-filled nooks full of international cuisine, not to mention the old and good local bad food based on boiled potatoes and fried fish. If she could, she would enjoy the last week's vacation enjoying the city along with Lily. But the reunion with her girlfriend was difficult, tense and different.

Lily received Santana and Rachel at the airport along with Harry Potter, Juan Lopez and two more Aurors. The chosen one hugged her father, greeted Harry Potter and kissed Lily with passion and sadness.

"What is it?" Lily asked as she watched her girlfriend cry.

"After, OK?"

Santana was taken to the Potters' house and housed in the usual room, which she would share with Rachel. Everything was the same, but different at the same time. There was extra protection in the house and Harry Potter talked about emergency plans, like moving with the family to the Black's old house, which he inherited from his godfather, Sirius.

Santana and Rachel occupied the room while they were watched by Lily. It was time.

"Rachel, can I have Lily alone for a moment?"

Rachel frowned, then nodded. She noted her sister's behaviour change a lot from the day Quinn returned to England to stay with Athena Milles. Santana became sadder and stressed. Circumstances contributed, but it was something out of the ordinary, and she had no notion of what was distressing so much.

Santana sat down on the bed she would occupy. She was uncomfortable, but she had to do it. She asked Lily to sit on the bed Rachel would occupy.

"What is it, San?"

"Lily, the next ten minutes you're going to break up with me."

"What did you do?" Lily rose nervously, but Santana signaled for her to sit down.

"Please. Listen to the whole story. Let me tell you everything without interruption. Then you can break up with me, you can beat me and kick me out of your house. I don't care because I deserve it. Okay?"

"Okay?" Lily was shaking. She wasn't the only one. So was Santana.

"Okay then." Santana took a deep breath. "On this summer, as you know, after I had been ambushed, the Aurors sent me to Kohadjo, even to make it easier to watch over me. As I told you, the town is a little bigger than Hogsmeade, it's boring. One afternoon, Rachel, Quinn, and I took a bottle of tequila from Sue Sylvester's cellar. We joked about answering questions and things. We got drunk meanwhile. My mother and Sylvester came by surprise because of all the bad news. At last, my mother told us to take a cold shower. Quinn and I use the same bathroom and I don't know exactly how it happened. I was drunk and Quinn was too. Lily, I swear I wasn't really thinking straight. All I know is that Quinn and I were sharing the shower and it happened. We had sex. It was unexpected, it was fast, there was no build up, no planning and none of these things. I think Quinn was just horny, and I was there, at the wrong time and in the wrong conditions. I don't love Quinn that way, I swear. I told you I love her like a sister, and that's still true. It wasn't what I wanted, but it happened. I know I'm hurting you right now, but Lily, this has been burning inside me for a month. I want to tell you this a month ago, even knowing all the bad consequences, even knowing the pain it would cause in you. But I had to do it face to face, do you understand? Because, Lily, it hurts me. But it happened, I can't go back in time and stop myself from going into that shower. I can only apologize with all my heart, and accept your decision."

Lily was astonished. The feelings inside her were in turmoil. She wanted to understand and even forgive, but she also wanted to get up from that bed and beat Santana in Quinn with all she got. She wanted to scream, kick Santana out of her house, break up, and never see her again. Santana cried. Lily wiped tears of disappointment and anger. Then she got up from the bed, left the room and ran to her own, where she could be alone and cry in anger for the rest of the day.

...

Santana was impatient. She arrived in London, had the conversation she needs to have with Lily, and for three days she had no answer. Anything. True that Santana didn't leave the guest room, except to use the bathroom. She didn't cross with Lily in a moment. Rachel gave her some news about the house's circulation and ambiance.

"No one even speaks your name in the house." Rachel broke the news to her sister. "What I can understand perfectly." Santana told what happened to Rachel, who was not at all surprised by the way Quinn left.

"The good thing is that next week we'll all be on the express." Santana sighed. "Then I will have to face the devil himself. It's a lot more exciting, you know?"

"Sometimes I think we should have accepted Ilvermorny's offer."

"You should have taken it. You know my opinion."

They heard the door slam. Lily didn't wait for someone to respond.

"I'm going to have a drink of water. Excuse me." Rachel left the room, past Gryffindor.

Lily got in the room. Her face was serious, concentrated. Santana sat on the bed. In fact, she didn't know how to act, how to move.

"Won't you sit down?"

"I'm fine." Lily's voice was hard, determined, her arms folded.

"OK."

"Just as I didn't interrupt you when you made that horrible confession, I hope you do the same now."

"Okay." Santana swallowed.

"What you did was disgusting, vile, dishonourable. And nothing in this world, absolutely nothing justifies what you did. Neither your drunkenness nor your stress. Anything. I don't want to know the details, and I don't want to simply know any stories that involve that day, Santana Lopez. I just want you to know that while you casually had sex with Quinn Fabray in a shower, I stayed here helping fight against brainwashing that Evans is doing among our colleagues. Our colleagues! I was doing it for you and also because our cause is good. Because we have to overcome these parasites. That's why I'm still going to be by your side, Lopez. But our relationship is another story. It will take time for me to forgive you and trust you again. If it happens to happen someday. After all, I don't feel prepared to let you just go. Then, you are in probation. Don't expect things to get back to normal with us, because it won't happen in a snap. You have to prove that you can be faithful in our relationship, despite everything around, including in spite of Quinn. Until then, you're in the fridge."

"I don't know if I get it right, Lil... you don't want to break up with me, but you don't want to be with me at the same time?"

"It's not so confusing."

"It's a bit confusing. It's like you're demanding that I become a nun until you decide to forgive me or not."

"Exemplifies very well."

"Ok... if that's what you want, I'll take it."

"Do you accept?"

"Lily, what I did was horrible. I would accept whatever punishment you imposed."

"Until you stop talking to Quinn?"

"I'd really try not to talk to her."

"Well, I don't know if I'd like that. It would make things very easy for you and for her. In addition, she is an ally, and we are facing a situation where we can't lose people. Anyway, I hope we are understood. "

"Yes we are."

"My mother made jelly pudding and you haven't left the room since you arrived. Honestly, I find it disgusting to eat on the bed itself."

"I agree."

"Great!" Lily pointed to the door. Santana hesitated for a moment before rising.

Santana didn't know how to behave in front of Lily. It was strange to want to hold her, to take her hand, and simply couldn't. She nodded shyly as she passed her girlfriend. A nod was reasonable. In a way, Santana was relieved. It was a fresh start.

...

It was the eve of boarding for Hogwarts, when Santana finally left the Potters' house to visit Diagon Alley. Lily said she needed to buy last-minute school supplies and asked (not, she demanded) Santana to accompany her. The chosen one didn't want to. She was too depressed to face the audience. But she made good on her promise to appear publicly for the first time since leaving London at the beginning of the summer.

Santana felt the impact of Zabini and Samuel's actions. The stares directed at her were almost aggressive, as if, somehow, she had become the lady of darkness, the articulator of a perverse coup.

"I hate it," she mumbled to Lily and Rachel.

"You should have agreed to finish your studies at Ilvermorny." Lily frowned. There was a grudge in her tone.

"It wouldn't improve the situation at all." Santana sighed.

She looked at one of the Daily Prophet's boxes of sales and stared at the headline. There was a profile picture of Santana that was still taken in Russia reusing a story with the profile of the Hogwarts team. On the right, a picture of Samuel also in profile, as if he were staring at his adversary. The letter X was stamped between the two images. Above, the headline: "Does the prophecy really exist?" Just below was a paragraph of the discussions as to the truthfulness of it.

"It's a political game, you know?" Quinn approached in surprise, causing discomfort in Lily and Santana. The scary face didn't go unnoticed by Quinn, who, judging by the frown on Lily's forehead, it was possible that Santana kept no secret. She took a deep breath and decided to continue the line of thought. "The other side wants to sell the idea that the prophecy is false. That is but an excuse so that the minister of the Magic and your father can justify a blow to have more power. Already your father and the others of the Order and the Army can't deny or confirm the prophecy. If they deny the prophecy, they confirm the thesis on the other side. If they affirm the prophecy, they will be accused of neglect because they have not acted to avoid greater evil. In both scenarios, Mrs. Granger's government is weakened, and your father's leadership at the head of the Aurors is questioned."

"Do you think I don't know?" Lily said scornfully and turned to the two sisters. "My father sent me to spend two weeks with my brother in North Walshan and forbade us to read the Daily Prophet. Obviously I didn't obey, but the time I spent with Al was very fruitful."

North Walshan was where the Aurors in training did most of the three-year preparation. Because the academy was on a farm and there were always more rooms than cadets, Harry thought the place would be safe enough for her daughter to distance herself from the problems in the capital. The Auror chief used the excuse that Lily needed to visit Albus and Scorpius, who were going to the second year as inmates of the place. That would bring some spirit to his brother.

"We'll buy you what you need right away," Santana told Lily. She was very uncomfortable with the situation and wanted to get out of there and get away from Quinn as quickly as possible.

"Of course."

Lily took Santana's hand, showing territoriality to the alleged competitor, and pulled her toward the alley of the side shop. Quinn and Rachel accompanied the couple. Lily glimpsed the building she needed to reach and then apparated, taking Santana with her. Quinn knew where they were going. She grabbed Rachel's arm and did the same. They disappeared down the side of the building and climbed up to the attic of the Ollivanders. There they met Henry Ollivander, grandson of the famous Garrick Ollivander. As usual, business always skipped a generation and was just the grandson who took over the family business, since his father, Lars, had not the slightest talent either as administrator or as a maker and researcher of wands.

Henry smiled at the girls. He was a man in his early 40s, the father of a small girl, the result of a marriage to a squib. He had soft, aristocratic gestures, long black hair that began to turn grey, and he wore a Musketeer's moustache and goatee: a style he adopted since he spent most of his youth in Paris. Gail Travis, Finn Hudson, Hugo Weasley, Marley Rose, Aurora Bloom, Sugar Motta, Lysande and Lorcan Scamander, Mike Chang, Jane Hayward, Ryder Lynn, Mercedes Jones, Blaine Anderson, Kurt Hummel, Miranda Larson and Glory Watson.

"What's going on here?" Santana was clearly confused and turned to Lily, who was still holding her hand.

"Santana and Rachel, this is the Order of Hippogriff."

"What?" Rachel spoke up, since Santana was speechless.

"If you'll excuse me." Finn stepped forward, half-smile on his face. "Lily and I went to one of the open forums Samuel had called. Lily must have commented with you that it was not pretty. We understand that the situation will get much worse this year and that you will need all the help you can. Then we gather those who really believe that you are the chosen one, that the prophecy is legitimate, and we begin to have meetings not only to practice, but also to discuss things, to exchange ideas. It started with me, Lily and Hugo. The group grew... Quinn joined us as soon as she returned from her visit to the United States. That's how we founded the Order of Hippogriff."

"Order of the Hippogriff ?!" Santana was still perplexed.

"It's your patronus," Marley explained with a small smile on his face.

"Did you know that and didn't tell me anything?" Santana turned to Lily.

"I was going to tell you when you arrived, but you decided to surprise me as well." Lily stared at Quinn in disgust.

The gesture confirmed Quinn's suspicions, who sighed and looked at her nails, trying to appear indifferent. She had no regrets about what she and Santana did, but she regretted the embarrassment.

"Your parents and your uncles know that?" Rachel continued to ask.

"They are aware of these encounters," Hugo explained. "My father even found the idea brilliant."

"Does Ronny Weasley agree with that? Sorry Hugo, but he hates me. I can't see him supporting a group that is to help me in any way."

"It's true my father doesn't really like you." Hugo said rolling his eyes. "It just doesn't make any difference. Then..." Hugo avoided facing Rachel. "Whether we like it or not, we're in the same boat. It's not just you and your family that is in check, Santana. We all have a good reason to be here. Just not sure how much Sugar..."

With all the bullying that Sugar Motta suffered on behalf of the girls in Slytherin, and because Rachel, Quinn and Santana were the only people in the house who treated her with some decency, it was no wonder she became an ally.

"Okay..." Lily patted her girlfriend's shoulder. "What will it be now, Captain?"

"What?" Santana frowned.

"This is your army. Lead!"

Santana nodded and then tried to look at each of the members. Finn Hudson was a fool, an unintelligent fellow who needed to fight many of the prejudices he carried, but he had his heart in the right place. Marley Rose and Sugar Motta had in common the fact that they were both bullied by people like Priscila Lestrange and Kitty Wilde. Glory Watson was the girl who participated in Professor Flitwick's choir who became involved in the rape case that drove Puckerman out of school. No one knew, but Miranda Larson was also a victim of sexual abuse. It wasn't hard to imagine why someone like them, considered an antisocial after Puck and Samuel, was affiliated with a group like that. Santana wasn't surprised that the Scamanders were in the group: they were Luna's sons, the great eccentric heroine of the Hogwarts battle in the second wizarding war. There was a considerable legacy in their blood. Santana had no references to Jane Hayward and Ryder Lynn. She knew they were both occasional members of Rachel's choir.

Mercedes, Kurt, and Blaine were closest friends to Rachel because of the choir as well and Santana always considered them as decent people. Aurora Bloom and Gail Travis were young people with strong ideals. Of course, they would be in the group. Lily and Hugo are part of the clan. Santana knew that Scorpius and Albus just weren't there because they are training at the auror academy. Rose was a professional Quidditch player. Quinn? Where would she go? Santana stood in front of Mike Chang. From all of them, he was the one who put the most poignant guilt about Brittany's death. Santana hadn't been able to overcome the loss either. It was vital that they worked with such feelings. If Mike was there, willing to be captained by her, it was because he thought the group would support a possible revenge. She held out her hand to her friend, who corresponded with the meaningful fulfillment.

"Very well." Santana turned to the group as a whole. "I hear of the bullshit that Samuel is saying. I know his speech may seem epic to the many racist soft brains out there. We can't fight it in force, but we must be prepared in every way. It's going to be hell, people. I'm not going to lie, but let's face it. So if anyone wants to give up, I will fully understand." She turned specifically to Lily. "No one here has a responsibility to me, nor an obligation to be here because of prophecies, so I will understand if you want to go away."

"I don't know about you, but my father is a jerk who deserves to be arrested, my mother never made an effort to protect me, my sister is dead and my relatives are not much better." Quinn posted ahead of the group. "I am failure, I learned to face the world in a distorted way, I became a survivor. I suffered horrible things and did horrible things. I became a closed person because of that. But when I met Santana Lopez, everything changed. She didn't care about my family or my money, and that was quite a change. I accepted her as she is, and she accepted me as I am. She continues to accept me even after I've done horrible things against her. I betrayed her out of fear, and she forgave me. I recently betrayed her out of jealousy. It was not really my intention, but I ended up manipulating her to do something that hurt her once more. And that hurt Lily. Still, here I am, as part of the group, ready to fight for this cause, because I know the value of the people here, because this is the family I chose." Quinn paused and positioned herself facing Santana and Lily, and started talking directly to her best friend. "I apologize for what I put you through again. But know that I love you, that I believe in you. It doesn't matter whether prophecy is true or not. Our problem is real. Our enemy is real. The threat is real. I believe you can lead us when the time comes."

"Thank you Quinn," Santana replied.

Lily was still too hurt to forgive Santana, and especially Quinn. So she decided to keep quiet for a while. The day she and Quinn had a setback was about to arrive. For the time being, she tried to assert herself, even gesturing. She took a step forward, interlaced her fingers with those of her girlfriend, and faced her rival. She would tolerate Quinn's presence for being in the same team, but made it clear she wasn't an idiot.

At the end of the meeting, Lily discreetly approached Quinn when no one was watching and, still subtly, held onto the opponent's arm to show that she was serious.

"I know what you did, and I want to make it clear that your speech didn't move me. I'm not one of those insecure girls who threaten and I won't even require you to stay away from my girlfriend. But I'll tell you one thing: stay in your place. Because if you don't, you will find that I don't need duels to bring down a person."

...

The tension was unbearable on the express ride to Hogwarts. Samuel's sympathizers crowded into the first wagons. There were opponents of ideas of supremacy, but they didn't sympathize with Santana. There were still a few who were with Santana. These people were basically the Order of Hippogriff. Santana wanted to stay away from the political debate in which the controversy became. She wishes she'd just let Quinn speak for her. Well, Quinn wasn't a Ravenclaw, but she was the smartest person she knew, and with unique ability for oratory. Santana hates discussions in the public square. Still, when she saw Samuel on a desk in one of the wagons, she was curious.

"... it's an absurd imposition that we need to resist," Samuel said with the tip of his wand pressed against his neck because of the spell he used to amplify the voice. "Suddenly it's as if we have to hurt our beliefs to accept what the Ministry of Magic is imposing on us. We need to unite and fight! We need to put a stop to this process that puts us on the sidelines in favour of those who want to destroy our way of life."

"Who wants to destroy our way of life?" Santana stood at the end of the wagons, also using the same spell to amplify her own voice. It made all eyes turn to her.

"Here's the biggest embodiment of what I'm explaining." Samuel pointed to Santana. "The Gryffindor infiltrated in Slytherin. Gay. Atheist. First-generation half-blood. Lover of the muggles way of life. The supposedly prophesied destroyer of our world."

"Are you high?" Santana snapped, trying to beat the crowd. "Yes, I was put on Slytherin. Since then I have done nothing but honour the name of this great house. Yes, you are right about other things. I am gay, I hate religion, I am mixed blood and race. Honestly, I love sitting in a pub and watching the muggles spewing our charming English irony while drinking their huge 6-pound beers. I love these little things. Just because I like doing it doesn't mean I'm going to force everyone around me to do the same. People are free to live among muggles, people are also free to live only in the wizarding world, if they wish. They are free to do whatever they want, as long as it does not infringe the rights of the other. This is what freedom means."

"Of course!" Samuel smiled wryly, opening his arm to dramatize the performance even more. "So free that we should end it all and follow this way of life, right? Is not that what you and all of your supporters want? You, Hermione Granger, Harry Potter... are hypocritical oppressors who use the fact that they have dethroned a tyrant with serious mental problems to institute another type of tyranny that condemns the pure of blood."

"But you have shit in your head?" Santana replied perplexed. "Nobody wants the end of our world. Nobody wants absurd mergers, nobody wants the end of our culture like you're saying. What we want is that purebloods, half-bloods, muggles and squibs born, that Gryffindors, Slytherins, Ravenclaws and Hufflepuffs can live in peace. That there are debates, of course, that there are discussions... this is part of a democratic environment. What you can't do is see an idiot like you making hate speech over fake notes! You know what our problem is? It is that in closing ourselves culturally, we close our eyes also to the history of which we are also part, which also affects us. We close our eyes to the fact that Evans proclaims Nazi speeches, and we allow that to happen."

Santana looked at the audience that was accompanying the clash between someone who was clearly trained, and another who spoke only with passion. Santana barely noticed when she was panting, that her heart was racing after the speech. Even more important, she had hardly realized that this was the first time she had been in the same environment as Samuel Evans in a long time. That young man, who was the same age as her, was her destiny. It was strange to think about it: that no matter the outcome, to her, Samuel Evans was the very personification of death.

"What is a Nazi?" Someone asked.

Santana came out of the trance as a boy who had a way of being a freshman about to experience the long, crazy journey at Hogwarts. He was just a kid of Indian descent with bright, expectant eyes who might not understand the clash that was happening in the car.

"A Nazi is these kinds of people who think different people can't live together. And they go beyond. A Nazi is one who thinks it is superior to the other because of skin color, religious beliefs." Santana explained as simply as possible. "The Nazis led by Adolf Hitler said that certain types of people weren't even human. So they chased and arrested Jews, blacks, gays, like me, and even people who were simply opponents. The Nazis took all these innocent people to concentration camps to kill them all in cameras of poison gas or other sordid ways. It wasn't much different than Voldemort did decades ago when he chased and killed Muggles and Muggle-borns. And it's no different from what's going to happen if the ideas Evans defends thrive."

"I'm not a Nazi, Lopez. I just want justice."

"Justice for all your peers, Evans."

"It's no different than what your mentors do. It's they who are arresting people if pure-blood."

"Russell Fabray sexually exploited underage girls as well as withholding taxes and manipulating Quidditch game results. Amber Nox, my stepmom, and her parents extorted poor families to finance a terrorist cell planning a Muggle-born genocide. Genocide! Not to mention that they were openly planning my death. Your best friend is a rapist. And you tell me you were innocent? May I go on?"

Some of the professors were perfectly aware of what was happening. One of them was just Mrs. Flora Carrow, head of Slytherin. Flora had remarkable ambiguity. No one could lay a hand on the fire to say with certainty which side she was on. Apparently, she hated Santana. On the other hand, she tried to conduct the house with a minimum of decency and justice. The professor stepped into the wagon just behind where Santana was, conjuring up a spell of moral effect to scare and silence the students.

"A table isn't a stage, mr. Evans." Flora said with a coolness that would freeze anyone's spine. The student came down from the table, but not before being triumphantly helped by other classmates. "As for you, Lopez, I believe your cabin is in another wagon."

"Yes, ma'am." Santana nodded. The last thing she wanted to start the year in the golden key would be to fight with some professor.

"We talked at Hogwarts," the professor said dryly as Santana passed by her to withdraw from the wagon dominated by Samuel's sympathizers.

Santana was intrigued by the professor. Whatever it was, she probably wouldn't like the content. Santana saw that some people from the Order of Hippogriff, including her girlfriend, watched the confrontation. She returned to the cabin she shared with Lily, Rachel, Finn, Hugo and Marley (Quinn didn't think it was a good idea to stay nearby and decided to travel with other members of the Hippogriff Order). Santana and Lily sat together. There was still a lot to be resolved between them, but Harry Potter's daughter once more took her girlfriend's hand and kissed her cheek to Santana's surprise.

"Will it always be like this from now on?" Marley asked.

"If it is, let's face it," Santana said with strange determination.

…

If Santana Lopez knew Raul Seixas, maybe she was singing Metamorfose Amabulante. Not that she preferred to be one. It was more to the fact that circumstances had forced her to be one. She, Quinn, and Rachel had just left a meeting with Neville Longbottom, Hogwarts' new director after Minerva Mcgonagall's retiree in the previous school term. Here's the problem: Flora Carrow handed over to the professors' council a petition from Slytherin students against Santana Lopez. The central argument was that the chosen one should not remain in the house since she was supposed to be a Gryffindor. The argument was logical. The problem was that if the exchange were made, that would confirm the prophecy and would bring on (even more so) the Minister of Magic, Hermione Granger. The solution? Santana would wear uniforms with the Hogwarts coat of arms. That was the part that would make her look like a walking metamorphosis. Neville handed her the jacket she was supposed to perform at the salon, the same model used by the newbies before the draw.

Neville hit the hammer. He decided to assign Santana a single room with the prefects. As for Quinn and Rachel, Neville decided that they should return to Slytherin's dormitories until further notice. Unlike the other years, the seventh-year dorms were separated, shared between two students (up to four depending on the circumstances). Quinn anticipated. She said that by security measure Rachel should be given special permission to share a room with her. That, perhaps, Sugar Motta should also stay with them. The professors didn't understand the inclusion of Sugar, but they didn't oppose it.

"Think on the bright side." Rachel nudged her sister as the three of them stepped out of the principal's office. "You and Lily will be neighbours."

"I don't even know if this is any good." Santana tilted her head to one side and then the other in the hope of stretching her aching muscles a little. "I just want to go to my bedroom and sleep."

"Simple like that?" Quinn questioned.

"We'll be in the hall in a few minutes. Whether you like it or not, you're going to sit at Slytherin's table, my girlfriend will be in Gryffindor, where I was supposed to be from the beginning. All our friends, for the good or for the bad, have a place. Even Evans has one. Longbottom will speak for the first time as director of Hogwarts and new students will be referred. Everyone will have a place. Except me. I have a world on my back, but I am not allowed to have a place in it. So, yes, Fabray, I want to sleep."

"Don't be dramatic, San." Rachel patted her sister's back.

Santana nodded to her sister just to dismiss the matter. Rachel didn't understand. Even though she was at her sister's side, she had no idea. No one can feel the pain of the other. It's physically impossible. It seeks to understand, but the agony and the suffering are individual. Santana began to walk towards the hall, followed by the other two girls. As was said, arriving at the place, all had seats, while Santana stood in the back of the hall in a solitary position. Did Harry Potter feel anything like this at some point? Anyway, it was horrible to the point that she didn't want the same or the greatest enemy. She looked at Samuel at the Hufflepuffs table. His story was different: Gryffindors didn't want him, but the Hufflepuffs cultivated a moral code that made it impossible for him to be expelled. They exchanged glances. Samuel lifted a bowl of pumpkin juice toward his adversary.

May the best win.

...

"Expecto Patronum!"

Marley was radiant as he saw the magical fog rise from the tip of her wand, which soon turned into a hare. The simulation of the animal began to leap around her. It was the first time she had been able to conjure the complex spell with form. The technique Santana taught her made everything simpler than the complicated explanations that Professor Mogus Tyrrell babbled in Defense Against Dark Arts classes. It wasn't just about having happy memories. It was necessary to find comfort, a safe, solid, practically unchanging place. To Marley, this safe cave was to think of the moments when she hummed with her mother while they both prepared their lunch. Simple, everyday, safe and full of love. Obviously, Marley had other happy times. The question was the constancy of something that hardly anyone could take from her, however much she faced tragedies in life.

Looked at the colleagues practicing in the room need. Almost everyone was admiring the patrons themselves. Rachel's was a sparrow, which made perfect sense. A fish circled Finn, which made Santana mock.

"That's it, Hudson. Feed this fish that it will turn into an orca like you!"

Hugo was an elephant, Sugar was a monkey, Kurt was a cat, Mercedes a swan, Blaine was a duck, the Scamanders twins had lizards as patron, Glory was a dog. Aurora could release the energy, but couldn't define a form. Lily was a horse (or a mare, depending on the point of view).

Quinn, always analytical, said that it made sense Santana and Lily to have patrons with some equivalence. The hippogriff was a derivation of a griffin with a mare. The griffin, in turn, was the mythological animal body half eagle and half lion. Quinn commented on the meaning of each patron, with the authority she had as one of Hogwarts's most intelligent student. She was considered the most intelligent out of Ravenclaw. Quinn explained that Sugar was a monkey because she was messy, playful and smart. Aurora couldn't give shape because her personality was lacking, Hugo was an elephant for her wisdom, memory, and kindness. Finn was a fish because of his need to belong to something. Colleagues appreciated the explanation, which they didn't even notice that Quinn even tried to conjure. Almost nobody noticed, but it didn't go unnoticed by either Santana or Mike Chang. The first one was guiding the other members of the Order of Hippogriff and wasn't in a position to confront her best friend. She still couldn't have a frank and private conversation with Quinn after what happened. Mike was another story.

After training the first weekend morning at Hogwarts, Mike invited Quinn to accompany him to the Quidditch pitch. It was frustrating for both of them to go on the spot knowing they would not be able to play that year. Quinn would no longer be invited to join Slytherin's team because basically the whole house didn't want to see her around. Mike would be the new captain of Ravenclaw, but he chose to leave the command in the hands of Lorcan Scamander and retired.

"I can't play anymore." Mike confessed to Quinn as they climbed up to the bleachers and stared at the empty field.

"Because of Brittany?"

"We were partners. We played in a way that, just by looking at her, I knew exactly what she was thinking. It was... magical... I never thought that two people could have this connection in the field and, at the same time, the friendship we had outside of it. It wasn't just a date, it was a deep friendship."

"You loved her a lot." Quinn comforted him.

"I loved her with everything I had." Mike looked down at his own hands and began to snap his fingers. "If all went well, I planned to ask her to marry me after we graduated from Hogwarts."

"I'm sorry." Quinn looked down, as if the tip of her own feet brought her some interest. "I didn't know your date was so serious."

"Nobody knew. That's why..."

"I won't tell anyone, Mike. I won't San."

"She blames me."

"Of course she's not..."

"I'm not blind, Quinn. I also can't complain. I blame myself! I left her alone at that stupid party."

"Is that why you can't conjure up the patronus?"

"That too."

"That too?"

"It's my family thing. I don't know if you'd understand."

"Mike, my father gave me an unwanted tattoo. He marked me forever with the death eaters symbol." Quinn said as she rubbed her right forearm. "That wasn't by far the worst thing he did to me. Maybe I don't understand your pain exactly, but I can have a good idea."

"My father is a merchant. He sees the world through asset management and sales. It is the best in its function. Plans losses and profits, investments, cost-benefit relationships. With the family it is no different. I'm not just a son. I am an investment and, as such, I must act as such and still thank."

"Money and food are things we can't transfigure."

"It's proof that capitalism is nothing magical."

Quinn laughed. She never paid any attention or cared about the social and purchasing power differences between wizards. In part because she has always been very rich and isolated, with her father choosing who she should relate to and who she should disregard. When she was little, she thought her father had a galleon tree hidden in the mansion. She wanted to feel at least blamed for such neglect. But economics (or capitalism) was never really the greatest cause of conflict in the wizarding world: the quest for power, this yes, was the desire to wage war.

Mike rose from the bleachers and stared at the empty field. He wanted to find a stone just to try to throw her to the bleachers on the other side. He took a bullet from his pocket and transfigured it. He killed the desire and hurled the small piece of transfigured rock. He didn't have enough strength to reach the opposing bleachers. Quinn just stared at him in silence.

"She would never love me in the same way," Mike said gloomily. "Accio rock."

It wasn't just his rock. Several came toward him and Quinn. She was quick and conjured a barrier that protected them. Mike didn't apologize for that. He picked a pebble and threw it. He didn't even cheer when he was able to throw him into the opposing bleachers.

"Britt loved Santana. She told me things, you know? She dated with Evans to hurt Santana because of that fake note. She said she was going to break up with Samuel when she found out that it was a conspiracy. But she suddenly changed her mind. Instead, he had sex with him."

"Really? Have Britt changed her mind all of a sudden?" Quinn recalled the brief inquiry she had made to the others, when she hypothesized that Evans had kept his relationship with Brittany for so long using something like a love potion.

"Suddenly. One day she told me that it was going to end, that the note was false and that it was all a misunderstanding. A few days later she comes to me with a smile on her face saying that she had lost her virginity to Evans, who was wonderful and all that shit."

"Suddenly?"

"Yes, Quinn, all of a sudden... she had sex with Evans, and they were like rabbits for months. You know the story. Only Santana didn't want her anymore, and she was hooked. That's why she started dating me. I accepted to be the rebound boyfriend because I was crazy about her. Then everything got better. I think she got off when she realized that Santana and Lily were serious. Only then did things begin to flow between us. And it was magical!"

Quinn hugged his friend aside, leaning her head against his shoulder.

"Sometimes I blame her, you know? Santana... sometimes I blame her. No one gets out of my head that Brittany was murdered to hurt Santana."

"Mike." Quinn stroked his friend's arm. "Don't say that. There are things we can't control or predict."

"I wish I could back in time!"

"Backing in time only creates paradoxical confusion. It has no use."

"I would change the universe to save her, Quinn. I wouldn't even care about the consequences."

Quinn frowned and looked thoughtful. She wish she could do something to get her friend out of that state of sadness. At the same time, she couldn't stop thinking about the information Mike brought about the relationship between Brittany and Samuel. She felt she should resume investigations. Thinking about what might be involved made Quinn's stomach churn. In another time, it would give Samuel the benefit of the doubt. No more.

...

The Daily Prophet displayed Hermione Granger in the cover story. She had a beautiful triumphant smile in the foreground. People celebrated behind her, among them Harry Potter, Percy Weasley and Luna Scamander. This was the victory the British magical government had in the International Committee on Witchcraft regarding the political support of the world's leading nations on the policy of fighting extremism that was being implemented in the United Kingdom. Percy Weasley, like the current representative of the United Kingdom, requested a meeting in the presence of Hermione. On the journey to Ireland, Hermione made an eloquent speech about the policy that was being developed in the United Kingdom to prevent the rise of a new dark lord.

Santana read the news with some hope. She was sitting on a corner table in the Hogwarts kitchen while she ate a donut and had tea before going to class. Ever since she became a 'homeless' at Hogwarts she had avoided going to the hall. Until she liked the mess of the elves in the kitchen. Chef Daniels was a small man crazed with the little helpers. Through the shouting and confusion that was the kitchen, Santana was even surprised how the unusual team could prepare foods so delicious as to cause envy to the greatest chefs in the world. The magic helped.

"Santana girl is smiling." Simons appeared in front of the student, causing her to spill some of the tea on the table because of the scare.

"Hey, eared."

"Santana girl never smiles when she's away from Potter's daughter."

"Looks like it!" Santana rolled her eyes. She didn't deny that she loved Lily, but she refused to say that she's whipped, as Rachel used to mock.

"Why is Santana girl smiling?"

"It's good news I'm reading!" Santana showed the newspaper to the elf.

Unfortunately, Simons couldn't read, but he smiled at the photograph of a great ally of his kind. It was Hermione Granger who guaranteed minimal rights to domestic elves, including compulsory release after years of service. Most of the newly released elves, however, refused to leave their employer's house and continued to work by getting some sickles a month.

"What is it say?" Simons asked.

"That I can be free someday."

"Santana girl is not a slave."

"I'm not, eared. But it's like I am."

Santana made a brief pat on the head of the magical creature, making him smile and his eyes glittering. One could count on the fingers of the hands that some domestic elf received any affection from a human. She left the kitchen and twisted for the umpteenth time not to cross the path with Samuel Evans. She couldn't at least give the opponent the benefit of the doubt. All she could think of every time she saw Evans was: will it be today? What prevented the direct confrontation was the fact that he was in the sixth grade.

The first class of the day was a spell. Santana walked to the classroom that contained seventh grade students. She nodded to Lily and headed toward her girlfriend.

"Hi!" Santana sat next to Lily without touching her. In those days, she hoped Lily would take the initiative of any contact. "Hi Melissa... Bail." She greeted the other couple quickly.

"How was breakfast in the land of the elves?" Melissa said trying to sound cute, but she couldn't disguise the antipathy she felt for the other.

"I prefer the company of elves than many people. At least they're loyal."

Melissa narrowed her eyes angrily. She said goodbye to her boyfriend and escorted the girls into the amphitheater-shaped circular room. There were only nine seventh graders accepted to attend the advanced level of the spell class. There were Quinn, Santana, Mike, Melissa, Lily, Netunus Black, Andrew Lothar, Nina Carry and Sonny Beaver. As always, Lily and Santana sat side by side, with Quinn always nearby, or a row ahead or behind.

Professor Flitwick entered the room, making the necessary preparations for class of the day. He lined up three dummies, an empty water container and a box. Distributed a list to the students with five spells that they should do without verbalizing. Each student should fulfill the list of spells conjured around objects. One by one, they tried to conjure the medium-level spells to difficult without verbalizing. Quinn and Sonny Beaver were the ones who managed to complete the task with praise. Santana was the last one called to do the exercise. She got up and went to the first object.

"Wait!" The professor interrupted her. "I know you'll be able to do that. That's why I want you to try to do without a wand."

"Professor, I don't know if it would be wise." Santana was uncertain.

"I know you've been practicing wandless spells for years, and I know you can master several of them already. I don't expect you to be able to make the whole list under these conditions, but I would very much like to see how far you can go."

"Professor, the spells I can master without the wand are the basics ones. It's not much different than the house elves already do. I don't know if I could make this list without the wand and without verbalizing."

"Try it. Let's do this experience. If you do two correctly, you will pass the test with honours."

"Since when was that cool?" Melissa intruded. "The practice of wandless magic is a violation of international conventions. Only African students are allowed in the training of some cultural practices." The head girl argued using the knowledge of who was preparing to pursue a legal career.

"It's not necessarily illegal," the professor clarified. "It's just unconventional and not very efficient. Since Santana spells without wands, as a professor, it's my duty to assess whether it is safe for a student to risk such practices." He looked at the student and nodded. "Miss Lopez. When you're ready."

The first task was to make the mannequin float. It was the famous wingardium leviosa, which was relatively simple to verbalize (a compulsory exercise for first year students), but gained in complexity so that it could be performed in silence. Santana pointed to the dummy with the palm of her left hand open and five fingers pointed at the object. She learned in practice that running a wandless spell with an open hand was much easier and safer than pointing out only the gauge. To cast a spell without uttering it was a very concentrated act. It was necessary that the thought and will to make a certain spell and the movement of the wand were perfectly coordinated. To do all this without the wand was even more complex and dangerous by the absence of the magic catalyst.

Santana concentrated and moved her body like a brief dance. Suddenly, the mannequin began to float. Some of the students applauded. Neptune and Melissa remained silent. The second spell was to make the mannequin dance. Santana took a little more time to start running the spell. Again, she managed to perform perfectly. Santana looked at the professor, thinking it was enough, but Flitwick gestured for her to continue. The third spell was expelliarmus. Santana had already tried to do the spell several times without wand with results far from satisfactory. It was a spell that demanded reflection and speed. With her wand, Santana could run it to sleep. Without the wand, she had difficulty dosing energy. Not by chance. When she tried to do it in the living room, it ended up causing the dummy to crash violently against the wall instead of just disarming it. The student looked embarrassed at the professor.

"Go on," Flitwick urged.

Santana looked at the container and sighed. She never tried to generate water without wand and there was another spell that could end up wrong. She tried to focus only on the container and forget about the rest of the room. She tried a few movements with her hand and opted to curl it into a shell shape and made the movement on top of the container. To her surprise, and everyone there, it worked.

"Wow!" Santana herself was surprised with herself.

"I knew you could do it!" Lily was beaming.

"Congratulations, Lopez. You didn't flood the room!" Quinn teased with a small smile on her face. She was proud of her friend.

"That would happen, it was just you to transfigure these tables into a canoe." Santana replied, remembering that, in fact, Quinn was considered the best transfiguration student at Hogwarts.

"Miss Lopez, one is missing."

Santana looked at the box and tried to concentrate again. She was more tired than she would normally be if she were using her wand. The last exercise was to duplicate the object. It was the most complex spell of the five on the list. Professor Flitwick hoped the student would fail the last challenge. It was the thesis that he tried to prove about wandless studies, since he was one of the defenders of the treatise that conditioned the practice of magic to the instrument. Santana executed the spell and wasn't successful, as Flitwick predicted, but not in the way he imagined it would be: the box didn't stop multiplying.

"Oh, Merlin! Oh, Merlin!" Santana's eyes widened and she took a few steps back when she could not contain the damage.

"Finiti incantantem." Flitwick stopped the duplication of boxes. He did this in the quiet manner of a professional who was there to contain the countless nonsense the students used to make in the learning process. "The exercise was interesting. Class dismissed, except you, Miss Lopez."

The students quickly picked up the materials and nearly ran out of the room to take advantage of the extra 20 minutes they would have between class and class. Santana, discouraged, just sat back on the bench she used to share with Lily.

"I'm sorry, Professor." Santana lamented in despair and a little frightened.

"It was better than expected, but I would strongly recommend that you stop with such practices." Flitwick adjusted the small suit and looked up at the student. "How it feels?"

"Making spells without a wand really tires you."

"Because the wand optimizes and balances the magical energy needed. When you practice any spell without one, your energy is dispersed freely. Using a wand is like flying a broom. To use only the hands is like running. Do you understand? You should stop it."

"Professor, you know something I don't know, but what should I know?" Santana frowned. These private conversations with professors were never free of matters related to prophecy.

"Okay..." The professor seemed to try to find the right words. "Did you know that Sybill Trelawney was the one who prophesied to you?"

"No sir. Isn't she retired?"

"She retired from teaching, yes, but you can just retire a gift as well. Trelawney prophesied you-know-who and all the most important predictions of the last two decades. It's very interesting to witness, even. Trelawney is a fraud when she's conscious. She's exaggerated and eccentric. But when she comes to a sudden trance, that's when it all happens. It is these prophecies that are true. She did three correlated in the space of a month about you and the other."

"What were the other two correlated prophecies?"

"I can't say. But there was a curious side effect when Trelawney prophesied the main one. She drew on a piece of towel, which is incredible because Trelawney can't even scribble the figure of a tree. In this drawing were two people. One with a wand and the other without one."

"What happens in this drawing, Professor?"

"The person without a wand is kneeling, as if expecting the stroke of mercy."

"Do you believe that learning how to use wandless magic will lead me to this scenario?"

Flitwick took the wand from Santana that was attached to the belt of the girl's uniform and placed the object in her hands.

"Not using the wand is good for the show, but you should focus on what really works for your good and the good of us all."

...

Lily ran down the corridors of Hogwarts. It was fully uniformed for Quidditch training and on the way to the field. She was captain of the team that beforehand was considered the favourite because it counted on all the main players and had a strong base that guaranteed the renewal for after Lily and Bail graduated. The plan of that day was to practice. Was. As soon as Lily saw Marley Rose, Hugo Weasley and Lysander Scamander arguing with another group of apparently partisan students to Evans, she had to intervene, especially since she was still aprefect and that was one of her duties. She picked up her wand and conjured a luminous bomb, bursting into the ceiling above the group. The boys were startled.

"What's going on here?" Lily arrived with authority.

"These assholes can't walk past us without provocation."

Lily shook her head as she realized that the three Hufflepuffs were fighting with their housemates. It was the effect that Samuel Evans had on Hogwarts.

"Rose, Weasley, and Scamander, come with me. And you guys: take the alley!"

"Enjoy the little bit of power you still have, Potter. The day is coming." One of the Hufflepuffs threatened and turned his back.

Lily sighed. That was exhausting. It was as if the war had already begun. Every day there was some discussion, every day something was heard, every day there was a confrontation of some kind.

"You should avoid those bastards," Lily snorted.

"What if we're forced to live with them in the same house?"

Hugo had a point, and the question seemed unsolvable.

"Look, I'm going to practice and you guys, please go do something else. You should go study or sing in the choir or something else, okay? But don't waste your time arguing with those assholes."

Lily headed for the field and watched the team warming up. There wasn't much mystery: they just needed to rehearse some attacks and practice some of the basic techniques. She looked at the bleachers and saw Santana and Kurt sitting together. One, of course, doesn't talk to the other. Kurt was there because of Blaine, and Santana because of Lily. But the chosen one was not even paying any attention to the practice. She seemed more interested in reading a book.

Lily had to admit that Santana was struggling. She hadn't moved away from Quinn, but she had kept some distance, she was studying harder, she was practicing harder, and sought more balance whenever she was in a debate. It was admirable to follow such an evolution. As the workout came to an end, Lily went to the bleachers. She greeted Kurt quickly, who was already leaving to talk to his boyfriend.

"Are you up for it?" Lily threw the quaffle to Santana. "You need to rustle a little."

Santana nodded. She reached out and waited for a broom to come to her, which eventually happened. Lily was always impressed by the demonstration of power. They flew across the field, exchanging passes. It was just a light, basic exercise, but it was doing Santana very well.

"You didn't lose your touch." Lily complimented as the two landed on the lawn.

"Are you kidding? I'm going to wake with sore arms."

Lily smiled and Santana smiled too. Then she smiled more. She missed those moments, of being just themselves talking about trivial things, of routines with a certain amount of humour. Lily pulled Santana's arm and brought her to her. Without warning, she kissed her girlfriend for the first time in weeks. It was a faint kiss, but full of meaning.

"Lil?" Santana asked as she opened her eyes. She was enjoying the good feeling the caress had brought her.

"I'm not saying you're forgiven. But I can say that by punishing you, I ended up punishing myself too!" Lily hugged her girlfriend and spoke into her ear. "Because depriving me of it here was torture."

"You don't even know how!" Santana smiled and they both kissed again.

"It reminds me that I haven't seen your new room yet."

"It's not very different from yours, but I can show you."

Lily took her girlfriend's hand and they walked together with their fingers intertwined. There was still much to be done, there was much to forgive, but it was a consensus among them that the situation of being together, but separate, only hurt them deeply. It wasn't too late to allow themselves to be loved again. Santana knew she was Lily's, and Lily was hers. Quinn couldn't break this bond.

...

The bald man checked the credentials more than once. He pointed his wand at the visitor and found nothing wrong. It seemed as if everything was in place: documents matched the description and there were no traces of portions. The visitor was released.

"Come in, Mr. Potter. You know the routine."

Harry waved to Azkaban's prison guard. He hated that place with all his might. The structure of the maximum security building was solid and reinforced since the last mass escape, before the second war wizard. The walls were grey, the large grilles were painted white, and there was that horrible smell that exuded from inside the prison that never seemed to go away no matter how cleansed it was.

Harry left his wand and other personal belongings in the booth. He walked down the hallway that led into the living room and into the interrogation room used by the authorities, like aurors and lawyers. The latter circulated less frequently because only those who had already been sentenced go to Azkaban. As the highest authority among the Aurors, Harry greeted the jailers on the way to the interrogation room. It was small, with two doors, no window, and furnished with only two chairs and a table, as generic as the ones shown in the movies. The difference was that there were no cameras or a mirror to disguise the presence of third parties in an adjoining room. Harry sat on one of the chairs and waited for the prisoner to arrive.

Two minutes later, Russell Fabray arrives accompanied by a jailer. He had cuffs fastening his wrists and ankles. Harry thought that white coarse cotton uniform with black stripes should definitely change. It was too depressing for a hideous place by nature. Russell grimaced when he saw the authority and sat down in the vacant chair, not caring to disguise how displeased he was. Harry waved to the jailer and asked gently to leave them alone.

"Fabray." Harry nodded.

"Potter. You took me out in the middle of my meal. Don't expect me to thank you for making me eat only half of that horrible gourd that is served here."

"Potato, vegetables, noodles, cornflakes... it's not a fancy menu, but it's a decent meal."

In fact it was. Unlike other times when the condemned were simply thrown into a filthy hole and practically washed away, since the reform certain policies have changed. Azkaban was cleaned by the prisoners themselves as part of the condition of sparing their families to shell out even more money to collect part of the costs that prisoners generated for the Ministry of Magic coffers. Prisoners were entitled to two meals a day and milk with bread at dinner. Some of the foods served were muggles industrialized products, which greatly irritated supreme wizards like Russell Fabray.

"You didn't come here to discuss the menu with me, Potter. Spit it out."

"I believe your wife Judy gave you the news when she came to visit you two days ago."

"Tornadoes have a new owner... yes... she said the team was sold."

"It's a good thing. The Tornados will be able to play again in the next national league. I hear Tony has plans to hire a young team because it's cheaper. They are even thinking of hiring your daughter as a seeker. Ironic, isn't it?"

"I had a daughter, Mr. Potter. She died drowned years ago."

"You should be proud of Quinn. She's doing very well, despite everything you've done to her."

"All I did was educate her."

"No. All you did was oppress, torture and even have your own daughter raped."

"Well, it was part of her initiation, but I don't think you're here to exchange notes on how to raise children, either." Russell spoke as if bored and even rolled his eyes.

"Nor do you... What do you know about the Kotti Monastery?"

"What I know about the Kotti Monastery is what everyone knows about the Kotti Monastery: that it is a sacred place for any wizard with the least of pride and decency."

The Kotti Monastery is a small fort built in the 11th century in the far north of Scotland. The fort was built by the Druids during the Crusades, which was a historic moment that decimated practically every witch population in Europe, on the Mediterranean coast of Africa and the Middle East. The monastery became known as "the last refuge". In 1706, the second war-muggle war occurred as a consequence of the Inquisition. The war lasted only six months, but it was a massacre that killed only 30,000 wizards in Europe, almost 80% of the total population at the time. The Kotti Monastery once again served as the last refuge for many of the wizards.

Ulick Gamp made peace talks with the English crown, and it was from these treatises that he founded the Ministry of Magic as a secret arm and first member of the United Kingdom's nascent government. The Kotti Monastery was one of three locations in the UK that wasn't revealed to be the British crown. Hogwarts/Hogsmeade is another one. The idea is that it and the other two places remain the last refuge in case of a new war with Muggles. Hence comes the idea that the Kotti Monastery is a sacred place for many of the wizards, especially the pure-bloods.

In times of peace, the Kotti Monastery is a spiritual retreat run by druid priests. What few people knew was that the Order of the Pure operated in the basements in Kotti. No one outside the Order of the Pure knew that such an organization existed. Not even Dumbledore or Voldemort could know simply for being half-bloods.

Russell Fabray was a pureblood, but he wasn't part of the Order of the Pure. He was never invited, that is, he never had a master to lead the organization. He had no idea what really happened in Kotti's basements. Russell was a very wealthy pawn and too proud to see that he and the group of wealthy wizards he led were pieces manipulated by people who sought power more than money. Harry knew that Russell attached too much importance to himself, but it was the best he had at his disposal.

"You were there three years ago. What did you see?" Harry tried to guide the reasoning.

"A beautiful fort, flowery gardens despite the little pleasant weather. There were five internal monks doing the organization and maintenance of the monastery and only two visitors besides me. "

"Who?"

"Virgo Wilde and Anne Lestrange."

Virgo was Russell's partner, Kitty Wilde's father. He was also stuck in Azkaban. Anne was the mother of Priscila Lestrange, who had graduated from Hogwarts and is currently in the Department of Magic Education. Anne was a well-known supremacist and was arrested, but was soon released due to lack of evidence. Up to this point, it had not been strange that the three of them had travelled together to the known refuge. Strange was that the three were never spiritual people.

"Mind telling me what to do there?"

"What everyone does in monasteries, Potter: look for some inner peace."

"Are you sure?"

"Look, if I wanted to do business, I'd just book a meeting in my office. Or if circumstances warranted, it would spark a small party. I wouldn't travel by express to the ends of Scotland to stay in a place where you whisper."

Harry leaned back in his chair. He was still not convinced.

"You still have contact with Aramis Black?"

"I'm in prison. It's not that I can build a social life with people who aren't here. I haven't seen Aramis for a long time."

"Sad..." Harry was disgusted. "Considering that you gave him the virginity of your own daughter, I thought it was of some importance."

"Why don't you go straight to the point instead of asking useless questions?"

"What do you know about Blaise Zabini's plans?"

"Nothing."

"Haven't you ever been in touch before you were arrested and he disappeared with Samuel Evans?"

"Blaise Zabini was a nice man until such a disastrous trip he made to Scandinavia years ago. We used to have whiskey together at my house in Tutshill. But it was a normal socialization among wizards who had ideals in common. I once proposed business related to the craft trade for wizards, but he was never interested. After he had won that horrible scar on his face, he almost lost his fortune and became a loner. That's what I know about him, as well as being the best with portions all over the UK."

"So you were never part of the same cell of supremacists?"

"No. Zabini became almost a religious fanatic. A preacher. He was never my type. I'm surprised he found Evans first than we and you, apparently."

"We made a mistake in judgment."

"Because of Santana Lopez, I can boast. She doesn't behave exactly like the one full of ethics and morals, just like you were the same age." Russell nodded with satisfaction to realize that it wasn't just them who were incompetent. "Say something, Potter. Why aren't Zabini and Evans stuck here with the rest of us?"

"They have not yet committed any crime that we can prove."

"Evans is going to kill people. It's his nature. It's how he was indoctrinated. This is going to happen right under your nose, I might add. In fact, I think he already did. No dark lord ascends by practicing charity."

"What do you really know, Fabray?"

"I repeat: I know nothing."

"You think he's Brittany Pierce's killer?"

"This is a mistake that you and the dignified mudblood minister commit. You wanted to be so righteous that you ended up bureaucratizing our system. It has become as ineffective as Muggles. "

"Perhaps. But the system put you here."

"I'm small fish."

"No, you are a fraudster, an exploiter of child prostitution." Harry was counting on his fingers the crimes for which Russell was tried and convicted.

"Muggle girls..." Russell scoffed.

"Human beings!"

"Who had the privilege of having the purest magical sperm in them without even deserving a drop."

Harry felt like moving on Russell to fill him up. However, work as auror taught him to have exemplary self-control. Otherwise he would have serious trouble investigating the underworld of the wizarding world, which was no better than the muggles.

"You make me angry, Russell. I'm glad you'll have another 11 years to rot in here. No more questions."

Harry got up, straightened his suit, and left the interrogation room with his head held high. At least the conversation with the despicable one served to make sure that there was something strange going on in the Kotti Monastery. So he would send an auror in disguise to investigate the routines inside there. On the other hand, Harry let Azkaban upset Russell's warning about Samuel Evans. The kid would have killed already. Who? Brittany? Any other people? Who was missing? George Patton. It will be? Harry needed to check it out as quickly as possible. If he could prove that Samuel Evans killed, maybe they could win the war.

...

Samuel knew he was on the right track when, upon returning to Hogwarts, he saw for the first time a thestral. Only people who had a connection with death could see such a creature. Harry Potter thought it was because of his mother, but the truth is that he only saw this creature for the first time after being impacted by the death of Cedric Diggory. It wasn't enough to just kill, almost be killed or see someone dead. It had to be impact, have relationship with the other. Samuel was shocked when he killed Brittany Pierce because, after all, it was a person he came to love.

As he prepared to start doing all the steps for making a new wand, he thought seriously about the people he loved and who kills them with impact. He never really called his siblings or his parents. He was in doubt about the women he came to love. Quinn or Brittany? One was an old desire that he was never sure if it was really love, but there was some feeling. Brittany was a love, even for a short time. He chose Brittany for the opportunity. And killed her looking into her eyes, holding her so she would not fall. It was a carefully crafted murder that made him cry.

This led to the second stage. Samuel escaped the castle night into the forbidden forest. He avoided passing Hagrid's house and walked directly to the kind of ranch on which the thestrals circled. They were horrible creatures in Samuel's eyes. Unlike what happened to the unicorn, he would have no pain in killing such a creature. He was disgusted by the skeletal appearance, the bat-like wings, the dark colour. Thestrals could be hostile animals, difficult to tamper with. More than that, because they were animals linked to death, beginning with the predilection for eating rotting flesh, they felt the predator and responded to the height.

When Samuel pulled the dagger, there was a stir. Part of the thestrals flew, part stayed to face the predator and protect the troop. Samuel attacked the animals with magic.

"Stupefy!" Samuel attacked and tried to run from fearless animals. "Stupefy!" He said repeatedly.

But thestrals continued to protect theirs. The wing of one of them struck Samuel's chest, opening a deep cut. The dark wizard cried out. It was struck at other times by the sharp point of the wing on the leg, arm, abdomen. Samuel screamed and shouted. He knew he was far enough from the castle for no one to hear him. It took a bump and the impact made him gasp. He caught his breath. Fury racked his chest. Samuel shouted and shouted and got up. He took the dagger and ran up to the nearest animal. He wound the thestral neck, which whinnied in pain. Samuel was filled with fury. He began stabbing the animal like a lunatic. He stabbed aimlessly, desperately, screamed and stabbed and, when he realized it, there was no force, covered in blood that was of and of the animal.

The thestral was on the ground near death. Every troop had moved away. Samuel stared at the beast and witnessed the last gasp. Then death came. Samuel smiled. He took the dagger, the same one that killed Brittany, and cut off the creature's tail.

...

"Reject!"

Santana didn't even react when she passed someone who would have insulted her. Seven years of being offended by Slytherins, Gryffindors, Ravenclaws and even the supposedly kind Hufflepuffs caused the taunts to lose their effect. The offender of the time was a Hufflepuff. Santana wouldn't be surprised if the boy in question, who appeared to be in his fifth year, was a friend of Samuel's. Since returning to Hogwarts, her opponent has been showing incredible popularity. It was like, somehow, Samuel was convincing that Santana, not him, was the agent of darkness. She couldn't blame colleagues. To act according to her own will and not according to her own conscience, was much more seductive.

"Evans is the chosen one, reject." Another shouted as he passed her.

Santana closed her eyes for a second and took a deep breath not to react. She went ahead and saw that Melissa was nearby. She couldn't like the girl, but she had to be nice to her because of Lily.

"Hi." She complimented herself for being almost a must.

"Are you having problems with the boys?"

"That?" Santana jerked her thumb back. "It was nothing."

"You can talk to me if you're in trouble."

"I know." Santana tried to get past the Hogwarts head girl, but Melissa grabbed her arm.

"I'm serious, Lopez. I can help you not just because of Lily, but because I believe in the cause. Evans is an asshole."

"Thank you, Brown, but I'm fine. No one is provoking beyond what I'm already accustomed. Even because they are afraid to go with me. They know they're going to get beat up."

"Don't be so overconfident. You can pay a high price."

Santana didn't answer. She knew Melissa wasn't wrong: the confidence she had could be ruin herself. Thinking about it wasn't in the plans of the chosen one. At least, not at that moment. She followed the corridors of the castle, up the stairs, and continued walking to a particularly isolated section where the room was in need. Seconds later a small door appeared on the wall and Santana entered.

There were Finn talking to Mike and Quinn on one side while Rachel, Mercedes, Kurt and Marley were in another corner laughing at something. Everyone waved at the leader, who addressed a group of older students.

"Hey!" Santana said to the three of them.

"Nice day, isn't it?" Finn said looking too excited.

Santana frowned and looked suspiciously at the big man.

"It's cloudy and the castle is colder than normal."

"Yes." Finn continued to smile, as if he was nervous for some reason.

Santana was going to make a nasty comment, but her attention was diverted to the arrival of the Scamanders twins, Aurora, Miranda, Blaine, Glory and Sugar. The group began to interact as usual, talking to each other, but keeping some constancy. Kurt, Blaine and Mercedes were always together. Quinn tried to stay with Mike, the twins had their own interaction, Marley always came closer to Santana when Lily wasn't around.

"What are we going to work on today?" Aurora asked. She was one of the most applied in the group: a reflection of the athlete who was in the field.

"We're going..." Santana looked back, hoping to see Lily and Hugo arrive. She started to feel uncomfortable. Lily and Hugo were always punctual. Especially Hugo. "Guys, did anyone see the clan around today?"

"I had class with Hugo this morning," Mercedes said. "It was all normal."

Santana nodded. She also saw Lily in the morning, after all, they had spent the night together. They had breakfast together but spent the rest of the day with separate schedules.

"OK. Who knows impedimenta?"

"Impedimenta?" Kurt said with a certain insolence, which was his own. "Of course not, Santana. Randomities are magic of darkness. Teaching is forbidden."

"I know." Santana spoke to the group, which was arranged in a semicircle to hear it. "It is officially forbidden to teach any hex at Hogwarts. I know that hexes are considered practices of darkness. But the art of darkness is also practiced by the good guys. Ask any member of Dumbledore's Army: they all practiced the dark arts, including two of the unforgivable curses. The Army was in the middle of a war and couldn't afford to face death eaters with only authorized magic."

"My mother tells these stories," Lorcan Scamander said. "I had a crazy teacher, supremacist, when my mother was in her fifth year. She taught defence against the dark arts only theoretically, because it wasn't interesting that the students knew how to defend themselves since there was supposedly no danger, that the return of you-know-who was just a rumour. It turned out that this teacher was a death eater allied with the snake face."

"Practicing dark art is no big deal," Rachel added. "I'm practicing it since last year with my sister, Hugo and Lily."

"Aurors practice dark art!" Quinn amended. "Don't be so strict, porcelain face."

"Exactly!" Santana nodded to her colleagues and sister. "Some of us had parents who fought in the war and they needed to learn dirty tricks to survive. The art of darkness is not bad if you practice it only for defence and protection."

"Since when do you practice dark magic?" Glory asked, still unconvinced.

"Since my first year." Santana said without the slightest trace of shame. "I was a terrible bastard in my first year and I still had a partner in the crime to make me even more unmanageable." She smiled at Quinn. "I trained everything I could use to defend myself against retaliation. I started with little things, jokes, jinxes. Finn was my favourite victim."

"Unfortunately, that's true." Finn wrinkled his nose as he remembered the time when he faced Santana head-on and he was always upset. Finn spent years hating Santana, and sometimes wondered if he had really got over it.

"Have you known what you should become since then?" Marley asked.

"No. This finding was more recent. Anyway, impedimenta isn't as bad as it sounds. It is classified as a jinx and can be useful in dealing with hostile magical creatures or hostile wizards. It basically causes the victim to be paralyzed for a few seconds. The technique is very simple. Some volunteer?" Only Quinn held up her hand, which was no surprise. Quinn, Lily, and Finn were the most likely candidates for the demonstrations. "Quinn, run towards me."

The two girls took their distance. When Santana nodded, Quinn ran to meet her. Santana pointed her wand, made a horizontal movement as she conjured.

"Impedimenta."

Suddenly, Quinn started to run like she was in slow motion. The effect lasted for a few seconds, and then she resumed normal movement. The group was excited when it saw that the jinx wasn't a seven-headed creature. As usual, doubles were formed so that some could practice with others. Rachel, Finn and Quinn already knew how to conjure jinxs and became monitors to help others. Lily and Hugo were others who knew how to conjure the spell. Remembering this made Santana worry again about her girlfriend and Hugo.

"The impedimenta can be used to push your opponent." Santana explained again when she saw that the group was able to perform the spell. "Finn?"

The big man ran toward Santana. She conjured the impedimenta, but this time making the pushing motion with the wand next. Finn was slow and then felt a force pulling him back. He took a few steps back. She knew Santana was measured in the strength she used: she would be able to throw him a few yards if she wanted to.

"I know it's a lot to absorb today, but we can practice it again at our next meeting."

"Are you planning to finish early?" Marley asked.

"No, I want you to stay here and practice a bit more. Quinn can monitor you."

"Go and look for Lily, San." Quinn placed a hand on her friend's shoulder. Unlike Santana, she wasn't at all worried about Lily, but would pretend to be in the good graces of her friend. "I know you're worried and I can handle the message."

"Thanks."

Santana left the room and went to the Gryffindor common room to find out what had happened to Lily and Hugo. She asked the fat woman, who declined to give the information. Then she said the password herself to enter the communal room, even though she knew the Gryffindors did not want her there. Some of the students were surprised by Santana's appearance and, at first, armed themselves.

"Hey!" Santana threw up her hands. "I came in peace. I'm looking for Lily. Have any of you seen her out there? Or Hugo?"

"Didn't you know?" A fourth-year-old girl said. "Lily got into a fight with Evans during the Quidditch captains' meeting. She's in the principal's office now. "

"Thanks."

By coincidence, as soon as Santana left Gryffindor house, she saw her girlfriend climbing the stairs toward the communal room. Santana ran to her girlfriend.

"Lil. What happened?"

"Evans happened." She was furious, but uninjured. Which was good in Santana's notebook. At least her girlfriend didn't get hurt in the supposed fight. "I've never seen a more disguised person in my entire life."

"Okay, I understand that you're furious. Now tell me what happened."

"I realized he was limping. I made that remark and he was completely stupid. We started to argue and I fell into the trap. San... I sent Evans to the infirmary and I was suspended to this game. They said I hurt him really bad... horrible cuts."

"What did you use against him?"

"Expulso."

"Oh shit." Santana hugged Lily. She knew better than anyone how Quidditch was important in their lives. "But it was strong enough to cut him?"

"They said so. What hurts most is to see that this clown is gaining ground making it look like we are the villains. I can't stand it." If Lily could, she would break something. Maybe she'd hit a bombard against the wall.

"Fine, Lil. He won that one. We'll win the next one. "

Santana tucked Lily into her body and comforted her. Even with all the apparent calm of the loving girlfriend who comforted her, Santana was furious inside. It seemed that they were losing the battle and the feeling was horrible.

...

"You're getting really good."

Rachel was startled when Finn burst into the music room. She was enchanting the piano to play the score she wanted: a spell she needed to learn after she broke up with Hugo, and the boy stopped the extra dates so Rachel could practice the singing. In the case, when Finn surprised her, Rachel was rehearsing the song Torn for the upcoming class.

"What is this music?"

"Torn." Rachel said awkwardly. She smiled, looking down to disguise her flushed face and tucked a lock of hair back behind her ear. "It's better with a band than with the piano."

"Can I help you? I play the drums."

"I don't think piano and drums make a good duet. But we could rehearse something, if you like."

"What do you know besides our repertoire?"

Finn smiled uncomfortably. Since joining the choir with the intention of expressing himself better through music that has been trying to find out about the Muggle repertoire. As much as he tried to like the most current songs, he ended up looking for the oldest ones. Had one, even, it was a new favourite.

"Do you know Journey songs?"

"Journey?" Rachel smiled slightly. "I know some. My father is a fan."

"Your father?" Finn approached curiously. Apart from Rachel being a Muggle-born maternal Santana's half-sister, and her mother living in New York, there wasn't much else he knew about her family. "He's a muggle, right?"

"Yes, he is. He's a set designer for Broadway plays."

"What is it?"

"He projects the scenarios. Think of the details of the stage and everything. He's one of the best in this trade."

"Really? What's his name agian?"

"Hiram Berry."

"Cool. Are your parents married?"

"Oh no." Rachel sat on the piano bench while Finn put a chair next to the girl and also sat down. "My father is gay." Seeing the confusion on Finn's face, Rachel tried to explain better. "I was the fruit of a drunken night between my parents." Seeing that Finn still didn't understand, Rachel worked out better. "When my mother returned to New York, she was upset about the whole situation that involved my sister's custody. Then, one day my father invited her to drown her sorrows. They got really drunk and I was conceived that night."

"Oh... I don't know what to think."

"It's all right. It's cool to be the fruit of an unconventional story. I think it's all about me."

"Do you see him much?"

"My dad? Not anymore. He married Leroy and I spend most of the year here at Hogwarts. It's hard to keep in touch."

"You don't like your father's husband?"

"Leroy has always treated me well. I have nothing to complain about him." Rachel touched Finn's hand, bringing good electricity to the boy's body. "Your turn. What are your parents like?" Rachel asked just to continue the conversation. She had so much fixation on Finn that she tried to find out everything about the tall young man, including his parents.

"My father was an Auror and died on duty in an ambush when I was five. My mother has raised me alone ever since. She's a very brave and independent woman, you know?"

"Did you and your father get on well?"

"I think so. He didn't spend much time with us because of work. But there was a song he liked to hum."

"What?"

Finn began to sing Faithfully to the chapel. Rachel smiled at the song, and gradually harmonized with the head boy. The initial ground became an unbelievable duet. Finn was a limited singer, but he could grow as Rachel's powerful voice accompanied him. That made him gain confidence. By the end of the song, both had made a beautiful spectacle without audience. The emotion was over and the kiss happened. It wasn't the first one they traded. Just before summer vacation, when the Quidditch team was in Russia, before the disaster struck Brittany, Rachel said openly that she liked the big guy and forced the situation. They exchanged a kiss that was strange and clumsy. Then they never talked about it again. Partly because Rachel felt embarrassed after having forced a situation that didn't have the expected end, in part because Finn was scared to mess with Santana Lopez's sister.

The second kiss they exchanged was different: it was spontaneous, the result of the attraction they felt for each other at that moment. It started smoothly and gradually increased in intensity. Driven by the heat of the moment, Rachel made a bold move and sat on Finn's leg to continue kissing him with this contact. Until the boy pulled away, with an expression that he was choking.

"Oh... oh... I'm sorry." He stood up almost knocking Rachel to the ground.

"What's it?"

Rachel was confused at first, until she realized that Finn was crouched, bringing his hand up to his penis, as if to hide it. That was when Rachel understood that Finn really felt the passion of the kiss. As much as it was embarrassing to him to have ejaculated in his own uniform, Rachel felt envious.

"Please, don't talk about it with anybody. Please!?" Finn's face was in a red tone that seemed humanly impossible to reach.

"That never happened. The kiss, on the other hand, was pretty cool."

"I thought so too." Finn smiled and was genuine.

"Could we... rehearse more often?"

"Of course! I'd like to rehearse more often."

"How about tomorrow after practice?"

"It would be nice."

Rachel nodded and smiled before leaving the music room. As soon as she left, she ran down the Hogwarts corridors with her wand in a rush, conjuring a scratch of bright stars.

...

Quinn couldn't wait for Hogwarts to finish. It would be great to leave school and disappear into the world. Quinn wanted to go far away from Britain, spend a few years running the world and escape the madness that had become her life. In fact, she had neither home nor money. Her mother was a dazed alcoholic who didn't give a damn. Her father was in prison. Quinn wasn't entitled to a penny of what was left of the Fabray's fortune (part of it went into the drain on late payments and damages). There was nothing more that would make her stay. Why not venture into Africa, travel the Middle East, get to know India? As Quinn glimpsed, she scribbled in the notebook the sweet taste that freedom could have.

"This must be your favourite corner all over Hogwarts."

Quinn straightened her posture and stood alert with Samuel's presence.

"What do you want, Evans?"

"Throw it away."

"This is a library."

"Well, I don't see anyone but us." Samuel took the liberty to sit next to Quinn. "I've been thinking about us. I've been trying to talk to you since my first year, and you always reject me. Does it make me think of what I had so wrong to not be able to arouse the least interest coming from you?"

Quinn raised an eyebrow. So the supposed future Lord of Darkness was right there wanting to know why a girl never hit a ball? It was even ironic.

"You never interested me."

"But Lopez interests you."

"It doesn't concern you."

"So, you really are a lesbian."

"It's none of your business. If you'll excuse me, I've given you a lot more talk than you deserve in a lifetime."

Quinn stood up, but was held by Samuel, in a move he had never been able to do before. The touch was forced, crude, invasive.

"Let me go, Evans," Quinn said between her teeth.

"You should reconsider your alliances, Fabray. It's a waste to see someone so beautiful and pure to get involved with the losing side."

"I'd rather die standing next to Santana than live crawling next to a shit like you."

Samuel released her and smiled. He stepped aside and waved his forefinger at Quinn before he drew her arm back and pulled her close so he could speak into her ear.

"I spoke to Aramis Black... he said you're tight. I've been thinking about it ever since."

Quinn's blood froze. She shoved Samuel as hard as she could and picked up the wand that was inside the pocket of her uniform jacket. She pointed at Samuel. She was trembling and unsure, not knowing what to do.

"Get out of here, Evans, before I kill you."

"Think fondly of what I said, Quinn. About getting the winning side. You're a Slytherin, that's your instinct. You won't have much time to decide."

Samuel turned his back to Quinn and walked quietly away. It showed her that he was the master of the situation, that everything was under control. Quinn, in turn, collapsed in a desperate cry. She sat down on the library floor and allowed herself to become fragile for five minutes. Then she swallowed the tears, dried them, and rose from the ground. She picked up her stuffs and left the library with her head held high. She need to think about what to do. Decisions like this couldn't be taken hot-head.

...

Hufflepuff's common room was the most cozy and friendly among all Hogwarts houses. It was naturally well-lit, with comfortable furniture, soft carpets to sleep on. The books were scattered around the room in a demonstration that the teaching also had to be comfortable and cozy. Plants decorated the environment and made the air of the house much more pleasant than all the others. No one could walk the house with shoes. Everyone left their respective ones on a huge shelf in individualized pits and walked through the house only in their socks. This made Hufflepuff also one of the healthiest environments. On one of the walls was Helga Hufflepuff's larger photo. Around her were dozens of minor portraits of notable students, one of them being Cedric Diggory.

Despite all this, Finn Hudson felt dislocated from that house in the early years. It was natural since he was much more of a Gryffindor and just wasn't put in that house because of a manipulation. He only managed to feel completely at ease as a Hufflepuff after the third year, when he positioned himself in the leading role. Finn Hudson was a Hufflepuff's notorious, something he would never be if he were in Gryffindor.

Samuel Evans never cared about the place. If he had been posted on Gryffindor, as he should have, he might still be an underdog. In the early years, Samuel could only relate to Noah Puckerman. They had close life histories: pureblooded, poor and rejects even inside their own house. Puckerman still prevailed for sexuality, for the fame of a conqueror. Samuel continued to be underdog more and more cloistered in his own inferior condition. It was led by a colleague who wasn't born to be a leader, had a single friend, was rejected day after day by the girl who was in love.

Suddenly, the reality of both was reversed. Finn Hudson understood that being a Hogwarts head boy meant nothing at all. Only those who had ambitions for titles linked to it. Power was only symbolic, accompanied by more responsibilities than privileges. Samuel, on the other hand, discovered the power of persuasion and that of leadership. More and more, he added followers with charisma and charm, and the power of rhetoric he acquired with hard training. Finn was now the image of the loser, ally of a non-grateful person. Samuel had the image of the saviour.

"I have no problems with half-bloods and Muggle-born." Samuel would tell a group that he would listen to him in the comfortable communal room. "My first girlfriend was a Muggle-born. No one can accuse me of being racist. What I think is that we need to build a solid and coherent society within our tradition. The half-blood is welcome as long as they renounces their muggle side. The same goes for the Muggle-born: they must renounce their parents, their parents' culture and embrace ours."

"It sounds like a sect, as I see it," Finn grunted.

"It says that because it was contaminated with the ideals of the other, Hudson. The one that will destroy our way of life." Samuel turned back to the audience. "What is Santana Lopez? A girl totally committed to muggle culture. Who wants to see our culture contaminated and replaced by those who have almost decimated us. For the oppressors. She has a muggle mother who ran away and left her with her father because she hated our culture. Even so, every summer, there is Santana Lopez in the company of her mother, enjoying their culture and forgetting that magic is so much more powerful than any technology Muggles can invent. And who is her faithful girlfriend: Lily Potter. What is Lily Potter other than a member of a muggle family? What makes the game of muggles and that even stimulate the interracial relationship? Am I lying, Hugo?" He pointed to the young redhead who was in the corner of the room like a loner.

"It's not like this. My mother is a good person." He said uncertainly.

"I'm not saying that our honourable Minister of Magic is a bad person, my dear Weasley. Am I saying your mother is still committed to her muggle culture, or am I lying?"

Hugo couldn't answer otherwise and it bowed his head. The music, the frequent visits to his Muggle grandmothers' house, the fact that Hermione had suggested that Hugo enter the London Conservatory of Music, a Muggle school, didn't help in any way as a counter-argument.

"People have to be free to make their own choices, Evans." Finn raged.

"The largest witch metropolis in the world is in Brazil. Their policy in relation to the protectionism of our race is a reference throughout the world. Did you know that if a witch falls in love with a muggle, the muggle has to renounce his previous life to marry the witch, or will he be oblivious? Is that dictatorship? No! That's good sense! It's not this liberal policy that aims only at the destruction of our way of life. We need to fight her, we need to fight her defenders, or goodbye Hogwarts, goodbye magic, goodbye everything. The infidels will fall!"

Hufflepuff's students reacted with enthusiasm. Applauding as if Samuel were the messiah. Finn withdrew from the downstairs communal room. The debates that he had the opportunity to have with Santana and with the Order enabled him to see what others couldn't: that Samuel's received speech with enthusiasm was a trap so that a bloodthirsty dictator could come to power in arms of the people.

...

The Harry Potter desk was filled with papers and briefcases. It was the bureaucracy he hated and couldn't help himself. In a moment of greater trouble, he used to look at the picture frame in the less tumultuous corner of the table. It was the family photo: him, Ginny and their three children. James smiling, happy to cultivate the rebellious and wavy hair. James never had big ambitions, but he always showed very strong positions. This certain radicalism worried the Auror chief. Albus was physically more like Harry. But he was always more serious, insightful. Harry was sure that Albus would be a much better Auror than himself. Lily was a mini-Ginny: impetuous, loving and very intelligent. Lily worked for the team, but she had leadership when she needed to take the position.

Harry stared at the picture frame for a while. Seeing the family leaving him with a smile on his face. He could spend hours admiring that picture. Let it bureaucracy. Let the investigation frame that he used to make mental maps to think about the most important cases.

Harry returned to reality when the magilegraf began to work. The apparatus was of restricted use (it was necessary to have authorization of the ministry of the magic), generally used by the service of auror intelligence, for being a means of communication much faster than the mail of owls. He picked up the paper and blanched.

He took the special galleon and modified it to convey the message he needed. He hoped everyone could see in time. He grabbed his coat and ran to Hermione Granger's office. He didn't bother with formalities. Harry invaded the office of his best friend, who was now talking to Teddy Lupine.

"Harry?" Hermone was startled by his friend's invasion.

"Mione, we need to run."

"What..."

She opened the drawer and saw her galleon vibrating with the message. She widened her eyes realizing the gravity, yet she hesitated. After all, she was the Minister of Magic. She couldn't flinch. Hermione took the coin and checked the message as if she didn't want to believe it.

"But Harry..."

"Mione, I don't care where you stand at this point. We need to run now. And you too, Teddy! Your parents would kill me if I left you behind."

"Uncle Harry, I don't understand."

"Think less and move your legs more."

Instead of walking out the front door, Hermione fired the net of flu in her office, and they fled.

…

"Santana, you're crazy!"

"Why?"

"This place gives me the creeps."

"That's why it's perfect."

Santana was leading Lily through the black tower. The place was restricted to Hogwarts students, but Santana spent a lot of time in that place practicing in secret. She came to know shortcuts, little secrets, including doors she couldn't open. Aside from the macabre stories and the fact that a prison had worked there, the black tower wasn't so different from the rest of the castle. More circular stairs, rooms, thick walls and perhaps a little more dust than in the rest of the castle.

When they reached the tower courtyard, Lily was surprised by the neat place. There were pillows scattered on a soft rug. There was an accessory table on the carpet with fruit and food, and carefully folded blankets.

"Santana Lopez! What is this crazy seduction plan?"

"A perfect one." Santana kissed her sweetly on the lips with passion.

Their lives that year were so difficult, that Santana thought a romantic, pleasurable gesture was coming in handy. So, she asked Simons for help to prepare the surprise.

"San, what if somebody sees us?"

"No one will see us." Santana pointed her wand up, and a fine blue light descended over the place. "No one comes the black tower, anyway."

"Bretzels?" Lily checked the little breakfast table.

"Your favourites."

"Chocolate Cake?"

"My favourite."

Lily shook her head. She kissed and hugged her girlfriend again.

"You are unbelievable."

"And you're the most beautiful girl in the world, Lilian Luna Potter. I love you so much."

"I know."

"Oh..." Santana made a dramatic gesture. "Don't give one of Han Solo to me that I can fall in love even more."

"I know."

Lily put the tip of her tongue between her teeth. A small jerk that always had an effect on Santana. She wrapped her arms around Lily's waist and kissed her. She was driving Lily slowly to lay her on the rug. She got to her knees to take off her coat and T-shirt, giving Lily time to enjoy the scenery. Lily settled on the pillow and ran her hand lazily around her girlfriend shapely abdomen. Then she played with the hem of her bra, running her fingers under the breasts she knew so well.

"You're tickling."

"And I intend to do a lot more," Lily said seductively.

She sat up, leaving Santana in her lap, and they kissed each other again with passion. Santana took Lily's cool coat off and took off her girlfriend's T-shirt, while Lily was taking off Santana's bra.

That's when she suddenly stopped.

"Lil?" Santana asked when her girlfriend freeze. In the foolishness of the moment, Santana thought Lily was cold, but she had a huge, warm blanket waiting for them when they made love.

"My galleon is vibrating."

Lily led her girlfriend to the side. Then she got to her knees to get the coin from the back pocket of her jeans. She conjured lumos to read the code better. Then, she turned pale.

"Merlin!" Lily shifted, taking her clothes and her girlfriend's. "You need to dress fast."

"What's it? You're scarring me."

"It's to be scared. Specially you!"

"Why?"

"We're under attack."


	15. Year 7 - part 3

"Please, calm down." Santana asked Lily. She was still only in bra, trying to understand the sudden panic of her girlfriend, who dressed as if the world would end. "We're not under any attack. There is no one screaming, there are no dementors flying under our heads, black marks in the sky or any sign of death eaters! Lil, this is Hogwarts, which is supposed to be the safest place for this country!"

"Put your fucking shirt on and put on your sneakers!"

"Lily?" Santana wore the T-shirt, but not in the urgency her girlfriend would like.

"My dad has a code." Lily took Santana's blouse and coat and tossed the pieces of clothing against her girlfriend, urging her to dress. "Get your clothes on!" Lily pulled on her coat and took out her wand.

"Okay, what code is that?" Santana said as she wore her sneakers.

"666! My dad wouldn't fire that code if it wasn't serious!" Lily showed her coin to Santana.

"Yeah, I get it. You've shown me that coin before. I believe Harry Potter might be in danger, but you won't help at all if you panic. Breathe and you explain this code to us while we go to Longbottom's office, may we?"

"666 means that all security has been compromised and that we must all flee from wherever we are to regroup at Cowbar on Moors. It is where my father and my uncles built a kind of secret base of Dumbledore's Army in the event of an extreme crisis."

"Clever..."

Santana took her girlfriend's hand to accompany her to Neville's office. It was then, in the middle of the stairs, that they heard an explosion from within the castle, followed by shouting. Santana's heart slammed and they both halted in the middle of the stairs.

"Lil?"

"I told you! We need to get out of here!"

"Okay." Santana ran a hand through her hair and tried to reason as the two heard screams and other noises. "We need to assess the situation. If we can contribute to ending these guys, that's what we're going to do. But if we see that we can't face it, we'll take ours and leave."

Santana and Lily walked cautiously down the stairs. They opened the door that gave access to the black tower and saw the body of a third year Gryffindor girl among some debris. Lily put her hand to her mouth because of the horror of the scene. Santana took her girlfriend's hand and forced her toward the Gryffindor tower, where the screaming was most noticeable. She held the wand tightly in her left hand while Lily had her pear-wood with a dragon's core. A group of first-year boys ran desperately toward the two girls.

"What happened?" They stopped one of the boys.

"They said it was the end of Gryffindor" the boy said crying.

"Hide in a safe place, until a teacher comes looking for ypu." Santana ordered when she saw a woman dressed in black wearing a mask of the same type she had seen earlier on the day Lily and she were attacked by juvenile death eaters.

They prepared for the confrontation, waiting for the woman to approach to attack it at a safe distance.

"You're going to die, Santana Lopez." The woman screamed and attacked.

Santana defended herself and Lily, in a team game, counterattacked. The woman demonstrated experience and reflex in defending Lily's attack. Santana didn't allow the woman to retaliate, and Lily did the same. The death eater ended up defeated and unconscious on the floor.

"Is she dead?" The first-year boy approached.

"No," Lily replied as she conjured a chain around death eater. "You only kill in the last case, when there is no alternative."

Santana broke the death eater's wand and removed the woman's mask. She didn't know the woman's identity, but she remembered seeing her at Hogsmeade. Santana tried to control her emotions and turned to the first-year survivors again.

"Pay close attention. I want you to hide. If you get a chance to get brooms, get out of here and fly to Hogsmeade. Go to the Three Broomsticks. Do you understand?" Santana instructed and the boys nodded. "Go now."

Santana nodded to Lily and they both ran to the Gryffindor tower. They saw in the distance that a duel was taking place, until a greenish light struck one of the students and he fell to the ground, motionless. There were screams.

"Confringo," Lily conjured. The death eater struck from behind, but Lily was still far away for the spell to have the expected effect, and the wizard stood up.

"Avada Kedavra!" A third voice enunciated, the green light came up again, and the death eater defended himself.

Santana conjured an unspoken stupor against the death eater and he collapsed on the floor. Santana and Lily finished climbing the stairs to find Blaine Anderson and two other Gryffindors dead. Whoever had conjured the unforgivable curse was Kurt Hummel, who was in tears. He walked on all fours, stumbling down the path, to his boyfriend's body and crying in his chest. They saw that Mercedes was there too, leaning against the railing of the staircase.

"They came all of a sudden," Mercedes said shakily. "They're still there ..." She pointed to the top of Gryffindor's communal room entrance, which was blown up.

"I'll go there." Santana volunteered.

"We're going there," Lily corrected. She conjured the chains around the death eater and broke the wands she found lying on the floor. "Take care of Kurt, Cedes. Take care of each other."

Santana and Lily climbed the last flights of the staircase and into the blast caused by the explosion. The situation they found was of a completely destroyed room while two death eaters tried to beat some of the students who had made a barricade at the top of the staircase leading to the dorms. Santana and Lily shielded themselves behind a sofa and attacked the surprise attackers in stupefaction. The spell came out so strong, out of anger they felt the two men slammed violently into the fire before they fell unconscious.

As Santana arrested the death eaters, trying to ignore the bodies of the students on the floor, Lily walked over to the barricade. Melissa, Bail, and three other students in the seventh and sixth years were the ones who were resisting.

"Thanks to Merlin you're fine." Melissa hugged her best friend.

"Did you see how many there are?" Santana asked no one in particular.

"I counted six attacking us," Bail replied. "These remained while the others went out to hunt those who escaped from the communal room."

"We got four. Two to go."

"Why don't we see any teachers here?" The sixth-grade girl asked loudly, also to no one in particular.

"Because they must have been ambushed as well," Santana deduced. "Because there are a lot more death eaters in the castle than we can imagine."

"Santana. You are too important to take chances. You need to leave." Lily appealed. It was possible to hear the noise of screams and battles happening in other parts of the castle.

"I can't leave here without my sister. I have to get to Slytherin."

"I'll get you," Lily offered.

"They want to kill me because of a prophecy, but they will surely kill you because you are their daughter. It's the same thing. You need to get out of here, Lily... remember your father and your family."

"We'll get Rachel and then we'll decide what to do. Together."

"I'll go with you." Lily and Santana looked at Melissa at the same time. "Let's be frank here. I hate you." She pointed at Santana. "But I love you." She pointed at Lily. "We're in this together, Potter."

"If my girl goes, I will go to." Bail said.

"Gryffindors," Santana replied, rolling her eyes.

"Exactly what you are, babe." Lily allowed herself a small smile in the face of the tragedy.

Now there were seven, forming a battle unit inside.

...

"Open your heart to me, baby / I hold the lock and you hold the key." Finn and Rachel sang the last chorus together. "Open your heart to me, darlin '/ I'll give you love if you turn the key / Open your heart, I'll make you love me / It's not that hard, if you just turn the key."

The last high note was extended until the end of the song. They were alone in the music room "perfecting the duet," as they were accustomed to calling the meetings. Finn was breathless, more than usual. The trousers of the uniform he still wore weren't the best to hide his erection. Rachel was amazed at the ability she had to leave Finn in that state (even though he was excited with some ease). Rachel was curious and she want to see more and try new things. New sensations. She wanted Finn, and Rachel was even able to get past someone in search of what she wanted.

They kissed passionately. Finn leaned against the piano, bringing Rachel to his body. It was an incredible feeling to be with someone who gave in that way. It wasn't like that when he dated Lily: the youngest Potter was measured and distant with Finn. Rachel was there in his arms, surrendering.

"Rachel, I was thinking..." He broke the kiss briefly, but still bringing the girlfriend close to him, so that she could feel the erection. "Could I touch you?"

Well, that wasn't the romantic moment as she imagined it would be the first time. She looked into Finn's eyes and thought of the circumstances. They were both in the mood, the place had meant for both of them. So what there were no candles, soft beds, flowers and wine? She definitely wanted it. Rachel nodded and Finn touched Rachel's breasts and continued to kiss her. That was when Rachel broke the kiss and walked two steps away. She unbuttoned the blouse of her uniform and discarded it. The bra was discarded then, remaining the green and silver tie. It was the tip for Finn to get his own T-shirt and tie too.

"Do you love me?" Rachel asked.

"Of course, I love you." Even though he wasn't sure that his feeling about Rachel was love, his brain wasn't working at that moment.

His heart went down much lower when Rachel, in a daring move, took off her panties, still clad in her skirt.

"Promise to be kind?"

Finn was struggling not to ejaculate before he had the chance. The pressure he felt was enormous. He walked over to Rachel, gripped her waist, and kissed her fondly. He took her to the teachers' table, lifted her skirt and sat her there. Rachel, feeling a little nervous, spread her legs. Finn allowed himself to admire her for a moment. He unbuttoned his pants and lowered his zipper. Revealed the erect penis. He didn't know exactly how to proceed, whether there were protocols to follow. He just wanted to know what it was like. He looked once more at Rachel only in her three-quarter socks, shoes, skirt and tie. The rest of the uniform was on the floor.

"Are you sure?" He was kind enough to ask.

Rachel nodded. He smiled, kissed her lightly on the lips before turning his attention back to the member himself. He took Rachel by the waist and pulled her to him. He took his cock and guided it to the opening of the vagina.

"Slow down," Rachel said.

Finn tried his best to respect his girlfriend's wishes. He slowly lowered his head and pressed until he was fully inside. There was no turning back for either of them. Finn grunted with pleasure. Rachel from the pain of the first time, felt some discomfort, especially not being wet as she should. On the other hand, it had to be what the girls said: the first time is bad. Finn began to stock her. Twice slow, and he accelerated his movements for not being control himself anymore. He lasted no more than two minutes, letting out a howl in the process.

Coincidentally, at the same time as Finn enjoyed his first time inside the vagina of a young woman, the explosion happened.

"What was that?" Rachel was the first to react, since Finn was still in the clouds.

"What?" He asked as he removed his cock.

"The noise?"

"I don't know." He looked at his girlfriend. "Are you alright?"

"I am. It was okay." Apart from the fact that she was trying to convince herself that not feeling pleasure the first time was perfectly normal.

"Yeah... I guess it was." Finn had a grin from ear to ear.

There was another explosion. This one is a little further. Rachel got up from the table and opened a crack in the door. The noise of the screams hidden by the acoustics of the room invaded her ears. She quickly closed the door and searched for the clothes. Finn lifted his pants and zipped up.

"Something bad happened," Rachel said, her heart racing.

"What will it be?"

"I have no idea." Rachel slipped on her panties and ran to get her skirt.

The door burst open, leaving the two teenagers startled.

"What have we got here?" A death eater entered. "And to think I've been told the boys don't know how to have fun at this school," he said with a laugh. The voice muffled by the mask. "I think I'm going to have fun too."

Rachel was far from her own wand and panicked. Finn tried to reach his, but it took a blow that made him faint. The death eater advanced slowly over Rachel, enjoying his own sadism, and she began to cry in anticipation. She couldn't bear to be raped and knew she didn't have much to do to avoid it. Still, she would fight to the end. She picked up a chair and threw it at the man, then another, and tried to run. She was seized by the waist and screamed, and managed to kick the pursuer. She tried to run, but death eater conjured an attack that tripped her. Rachel slammed into the chair where her materials and wand lay. She saw the fabric of the skirt being magically torn, and she was full naked. She tried to kick him again and stretched her arm. Death eater punched her face and used the weight of her own body to immobilize her. Rachel, facing the floor, felt the man on top of her, almost choking her, trying to fit in. While the death eater was too busy trying to pull down his pants, she managed to get the wand to reach her. It was a spark of wandless magic made in a moment of deep stress.

"Stupefy!" The spell struck the man's head, unconscious on top of her.

Rachel cried without feeling she was doing it. She had difficulty getting out under the death eater. When Rachel finally got it, she went to Finn and checked if everything was okay with him. She knocked on her boyfriend's face. Nothing. She held her breath. Yes, he was alive. It was a relief. As she stood with her boyfriend's head on his lap, she looked at the wide open door. Rachel saw a group running straight ahead. They must have been too scared to pay attention to what was going on in the music room. Rachel tried to remember the spell that made people wake up. The mental confusion she was in didn't allow it. But she knew they had to get out of there fast. Death eater wouldn't be fainted forever.

Rachel went to the floor and put on her coat in an attempt to be minimally decent.

"Evene ... evate ... enievate ... evevarte ... enevarte ... yes ... enevarte. Enevarte!" she conjured.

Finn woke in a deep breath, as if he'd had a respiratory arrest.

"We need to get out of here," Rachel said urgently. "We have to find my sister."

Finn nodded. Never looking for Santana seemed like such a good idea. He got up, took Rachel's hand and they both tested the movement of the corridor. There was no one. They could hear a lot of screaming, a battle noise. In this mess, Santana and their friends could be anywhere.

Rachel thought of her sister. She tried to remember one of the happiest times she had spent beside Santana and conjured up the patron. A sparrow took shape and flew down the halls of Hogwarts.

"So she'll find us," Rachel explained, and Finn nodded.

"We still need to get out of here."

"To where?"

They saw people approaching. They were on the alert. Quickly it turned out to be Marley and Hugo carrying an unconscious Lysander Scamander. The Hufflepuff kids were dirty with dense dust, and clothes were damaged. Marley had blood on her arm and thigh, and bruises on her face. Hugo had a wound on his face and head. Lysander had a completely crooked foot and other excoriations. The trio just arrived didn't fail to notice the condition of the couple. Hugo was particularly offended at seeing his ex-girlfriend, and the girl he still felt affection for, being completely naked from the waist down.

"We need to get the room," Marley argued. "Lys won't be able to walk."

There was a long way to the room. Finn took the initiative and put Lysander over his shoulder.

"We can go faster this way."

"Right," Hugo growled. "I go ahead and you two take care of the rear."

"What happened to you?" Rachel asked as the group moved.

"Maximum bombard," Marley explained. "The wall burst on our backs."

"Was it a death eater?"

"No. It was Evans."

...

"Honestly, it's impossible to be among the Hufflepuffs these days," Marley complained as she walked with Hugo and Lysander. "It's just you look at someone and there comes speech of how stupid you are to walk with Darth Lopez's gang! I'm fed up."

"Wow!" Hugo smiled. "Sweet Marley Rose has some blood in her vein."

"Sweet Marley Rose here always had blood in the veins, Weasley. Do not tease me."

"Uh over there!" Lysander scowled at his friends. "I can even see all the triciacles flying over your head now. You live full of them." Seeing the puzzled face of his friends, the boy frowned. "Triciacles? Don't you know? They are attracted to the energy of explosive people."

"Triciacles don't even exist in the book your mother wrote!" Marley countered. "With all due respect, there is already so much in the book that I doubt it ever existed, Scamander."

"That's what gives live in a zoo!" Hugo rolled his eyes.

The Scamanders' house was, indeed, a zoo. Both Luna and Rolf were magizoologists and the only ones of the old Dumbledore Army who lived in Northern Ireland, where they maintained a ranch with an absurd number of magical animals raised in captivity. The ranch was also one of the most sophisticated magical animal research centers in the world. The work was disputed to tapas by trainees of the whole world who would like to deepen the studies in magizoology. The couple only hired seven staff/associate researchers/trainees. Neither more nor less. Luna said that more than that would spoil the perfect balance of the place. That's why there was always a place open, there was a line of people from around the world willing to endure the oddities of the couple just to learn from the best in the area.

The Scamander twins grew up in an environment full of scientists, animals, eccentricity and no frills. Lysander, for example, hated shoes because he said they made him lose interfered with the connection of the planet's original energy. It was where he theorized that he fed the magic. Lorcan, although more focused, also had his share of eccentricity. Not as much as his brother, but he still managed to surprise.

"I'd love to visit your place." Marley put her arm around her friend's shoulder. "I've never been to a zoo of magical creatures before."

"It's not a zoo." Lysander insisted a little annoyed with his colleagues. "It's a ranch and magician-run science institute run by my parents."

"Are there any hippogriffs?" Marley said, her eyes widening.

"By chance, there is."

"By the way, what kind of hippogriff you would like to ride?" Hugo hinted wickedly. Even he had already noticed the girl crush that Marley felt for Santana.

"They are beautiful animals." Marley tried to pretend. "Oh, tomorrow we have game. I'll root for the Ravenclaws." Marley abruptly changed the subject.

"Traitor."

Hugo stuck his friend on the shoulder. He knew, however, why Marley didn't root for her own house. They were the same reasons why he wouldn't either: Samuel Evans was the captain playing in the seeker position.

"I'm not a traitor!" Marley pretended to be offended. "Traitor is the man who ate meat this week when we agreed to try a vegetarian diet."

"But I'm a Weasley!"

Marley pushed his friend a little harder, knocking him into a half-open doorway to one of Hogwarts' storage and maintenance rooms. Hugo fell to the ground, making a Marley regretted by the exaggeration in the force running to help him get up.

"Hugo, I'm sorry..."

The trio realized that they weren't alone. Inside the room were just Samuel talking to dozens of persons wearing death eaters' masks. Unfortunately, they haven't had time to react. Samuel and the death eaters paralyzed the trio and brought them into the room. They closed the door and protected the environment from leaking the sound.

"Her son." One of the men said pointing the wand at Hugo's chin. "We can get a ransom after we obliviate them."

"You'll have to wait for later." Samuel said with authority, showing that he was in charge. "We have to execute the plan now."

At that moment the coins in the pockets of Hugo and Lysander's pants began to vibrate strongly.

"It's now." Samuel nodded.

The death eaters waved and left the room. Marley, Hugo, and Lysander didn't know exactly what would happen. Only something terrible would happen in a matter of minutes. Samuel looked at his paralyzed colleagues. The look on his face was terrifying, as if all he had dismissed from the three companions was contempt. With a twist of his wand, he pushed the trio of them against the wall.

"Bombarda maxima." He conjured from the door of the room and closed the door.

Inside the room, the friends were buried under the debris of the collapsing wall.

Hugo was the first to wake up minutes after the attack. The effect of the paralysis had passed and, with difficulty and pain, he was removing the biggest debris from his own body. He got up with difficulty because of the pains all over his body as a result of the impact of the debris. It was the head that hurt the most. He ran his hand over and saw the blood streaming from his torn hair. He threatened to faint, but resisted bravely. He had two other friends who depended on his help. He went to Marley first and took the heaviest rubble off her. She had several injuries due to the explosion, but all, apparently superficial.

"Hey, Marley!" Shook her colleague. "Marley!"

Marley woke up as if she'd been scared, to immediately grimace at the pain.

"What happened?" She asked as Hugo helped her up.

"Evans happened," Hugo replied angrily.

"Oh... I remember now."

"Can you help me with Lysander?"

The largest piece of the wall fell on Luna Scamander's son and covered him in the middle of his back down. First, Hugo checked his colleague's signals. He was relieved that he was breathing. Marley and Hugo tried to raise the rubble, but it was too heavy for their condition. Hugo reached for his wand and didn't find it. Marley had hers in the pocket of her blouse.

"Reducto!" Marley used to evaporate the wall fragment from above his friend. It worked in part, but it was enough to get Lysander free.

Marley conjured up Energetic to see if her friend woke up, but it had no effect. She thought his wounds might be more serious since the spell didn't work.

"What do we do? The school must be at war by then." Marley asked Hugo.

"I just know we can't stay here."

Hugo reached for Lysander's wand and found it beneath his friend. He held it and motioned for her friend to help him. Hugo lifted Lysander, then Marley took one of his arms and put it around her neck. Hugo did the same. They counted up to three and began loading their friend out of the room.

"Where?" Marley asked as he realized the signs of a war that had passed.

"We have to get out of this castle."

"To the room, then."

Marley and Hugo left carrying their friend in the corridors. As much as they hurt their hearts, they ignored the duels that went on throughout Hogwarts. It wasn't possible to help other colleagues, so they moved on. They entered the corridor of the music room that led to the stairs leading to the Gryffindor and Ravenclaw towers. It was the junction they had to pass to get the precise room. That's when they found Finn and Rachel.

...

Santana and the six other Gryffindors descended the stairs to a duel between two death eaters and Michael Corner, the yeacher of history of magic. The professor was ahead of a group of students possibly in their first years. He was wounded and apparently tired. Santana signaled the group. She and Bail advanced to help the teacher while the rest protected the younger ones.

"Stupefy!" Santana and Bail conjured up together, hitting death eaters.

Professor Corner, surprised by the students' approach, pointed his wand at them and attacked. Santana conjured experliamus to defend herself and the clash of the two wands that had dragon nucleus created the effect of two lines of lights. As soon as the professor realized the mistake, he stepped back.

"Sorry," he said breathlessly.

"Where are the other teachers?" Lily asked as Santana performed the new routine of tying the death eaters and breaking their wands.

"They must be fighting downstairs. I think... we were all caught by surprise."

"That's what we imagined."

"We need to take a look at this, Professor." One of the gryffindors of the sixth year who claimed to be a healer, silently asked permission to lift the teacher's shirt from the side that the fabric was damaged and there was the blood stain. There was an ugly injury just below the ribs on the right side. "You must sit down."

"That's nothing," Corner snapped. "You have to get out of here." The long-haired teacher said to Lily. "You and Lopez. It's too risky."

"Not without my sister," Santana replied. "Or without..."

Santana was interrupted when she saw a sparrow-shaped patron coming toward her. The patron circled her body and fell apart.

"Rachel!" Santana said to Lily. "The patron came from that direction."

Santana ran, carrying Lily, Bail and Melissa right behind. The groups met halfway. Santana first hugged her sister when she saw Rachel and then walked away three steps. She looked at Rachel's nudity and also the fact that Finn carried someone (she didn't immediately identify Lysarder) without a T-shirt. She turned on the points quickly, but that was no time to lecture. Lily hugged her cousin as Santana quickly grabbed Marley's arm, silently saying, "It's all right now."

"We were going to the precise room," Finn informed him. "Lysander need a healer."

"We're with Professor Corner and a few more Gryffindors pivoting right there," Melissa informed them. "We'd better not split up now."

They walked together until they met again with the group of Gryffindors and Ravenclaws. The other group was in the same place, with the professor sitting on the stairs, clearly feeling the wound.

"Now you have to leave!" Corner said when he saw that Santana had found her sister.

"No," Santana snapped. "I need to find Quinn, Mike and the others." She looked at one of Gryffindor's colleagues wearing a robe. "You... give your robe to my sister, please."

Rachel accepted the clothe. She was ashamed of being nearly naked in the midst of a serious battle. At least with the robe she could better disguise her nakedness.

"You can't save everyone, Lopez!"

Santana glared at Melissa. She hated the others saying what she could or could not do. Not when there were enough people already throbbing in her life. Someone else had already told her the same phrase: Quinn Fabray. This made Santana even more irritable.

"Mel is right, San." Of course, Lily felt jealous of Santana worrying about Quinn in the midst of a serious battle.

"Lily, please. I promise I'll find you. Just take my sister and the others out of here. Please and for all that is most sacred. If all goes wrong, I know where to find you."

"No way!" Lily remained irreducible. "And don't even think about being the saviour right now or I swear our relationship will end here."

"Santana ..." Finn was hesitant with the reaction the choice might have had he addressed her. "We have no idea what's going on down there. But we know what we have here. There are four injured people, boys and other people who survived. We need a leader. That is your responsibility as well as being the most powerful witch among us all."

"San..." It was Hugo's turn to speak. "They are many and Evans is behind the attack."

"I know. I have every reason to leave Quinn and Mike behind, but I can't. I can't lose you or them. You all go and I promise to reach you."

"If you do it, we're done, San! I swear we're done!" Lily threatened again.

"All right, Lil. We break up here to start over later."

Without waiting for anyone's permission, Santana ran toward the ground floor of the castle, where the loudest sounds of battle could be heard. She owed absolutely no loyalty to Quinn, but she couldn't help it.

...

Quinn looked at his opponent's play. One of the horses was centralized, which could cause great damage to the lines of defense. Her tower was in position and eliminate the piece, but not without the risk of losing one of the most powerful elements. On the other hand, if she attracted the opponent's attention to the urge to move forward, she could corner the horse and leave the tower and the bishop in position to catch the queen. She could sacrifice one of the horses quietly. The king was in a roque position and had a well-protected line. Quinn made the move.

"I think someone will lose the bet," Netunus teased.

Quinn didn't let the crowd cheer for Kitty Wilde. More than seeing Quinn Fabray and even Rachel Berry as homeless, just as happened as Santana Lopez, they would love to see Quinn's complete humiliation transforming her into a "human" house elf for the rest of the year until she graduates. On the other hand, if Quinn won, Kitty would have to give her all the perks reserved for her.

Quinn didn't change her expression when Kitty fell into the trap.

"I think someone fell off the horse."

"Checkmate in five moves."

"Of course, my checkmate!"

Quinn just focused on the board again. Black horse eats white pawn and gets in check, white tower eats black horse, black bishop stands, white tower crosses with bishop, black queen eats white bishop and white pawn leaves black king in sheeps position. Black king eats white pawn. A smile passed over Quinn's lips.

"Sorry... I missed the number of plays for checkmate."

Kitty was infuriated. Instead of elegantly knocking down the king herself, recognizing that she was cornered by a pawn, tower, and bishop, she turned the entire board. Quinn remained almost impassive, watching the younger girl talking horrors about the other. Quinn just nodded and swung her wand in an unspoken spell. Kitty began to squirm and, in agony, threw up a snail.

"You know, Wilde. I restore your privileges just to watch you vomiting slugs for the next ten minutes. "

Quinn held her posture while Sugar vibrated. The rest of the Slytherins acted as such: they laughed at Kitty and then returned with complete indifference. Kitty was a loser, and as such she would deserve some contempt for a while.

"You in for a hot chocolate?"

Quinn suggested to Sugar, as if nothing was happening. In the absence of Santana and Rachel, who knew she was in one of the rehearsals with Finn, Quinn tolerated the eccentric and fumbling Sugar Motta. At least she and the girl had some things in common besides the green and silver house. They headed for the exit of the communal room in the dungeons at the same moment that five death eaters invaded the enclosure. Sugar screamed, causing Quinn to hold her mouth more tightly than she intended. Judging by the frightened reaction of the others, they were all taken aback.

"My dear Slytherins," said one of the death eaters. "This is an invasion in which you have two choices: join us or die."

Kitty Wilde stepped forward, only to fall to her knees and vomit another snail, leaving the attackers angry. Obviously no other Slytherin manifested. Unlike any other house, a Slytherin could be better concealed than any of the other houses. Much better than the so-called "warmed, impulsive, and stupid" who shed red. Not that they were evil or that they didn't care. It was how many of them worked. It was the instinct of self-preservation that many had. No one would fight if there wasn't a clear openness and a probability of winning. Quinn became the underdog of the house, but even she was in tune with the others. Even Sugar wouldn't rush. A death eater circled the students and stopped in front of Quinn.

"Shouldn't you volunteer?" The man teased. "Of course not. You're her lover, right?"

Quinn frowned. Her? The clue led her to suspect that this trap was much worse than she could imagine. The other smarter colleagues might well presume the same as her, but with the wrong conclusion.

"If I was with her, I wouldn't be here in the first place," Quinn said through gritted teeth.

The death eater took a step back and Quinn took the opportunity to jump behind the couch. She wasn't going to have to do much for the time being because of the pandemonium that started next. Quinn took the opportunity to escape from the communal room. The hallway outside the room seemed free. She leaped to run as far as she could. Quinn stopped on the steps that would give access to the floor of the kitchen and the Hufflepuffs' house, where the noise of fighting was more intense. She had some choices. She could go back and help her housemates, if she went ahead, she could hide in the dungeons (the secret camera was out of the question). Or she could climb the stairs and cross the pandemonium to the nearest exit. Quinn decided to wait there near the dungeons, where she could have a clear view of the movement.

She saw many of her own classmates run up the stairs, at the same time as some Hufflepuffs and two of the teachers, including Flora Carrow, came down to help the house. Why only two teachers? Quinn wondered. She noticed things had gotten hot in the Slytherin communal room. She heard noises of explosions and waited some more. Apparently the Slytherins were victorious. They went up the stairs and looked like they were willing to turn the tables, whatever the game might be.

Quinn hesitated, but decided to go upstairs and see what was happening. Chaos reigned on the next floor. Debris and some bodies were scattered. Quinn watched some of them to see if they had any close friends. She recognized Lohanne Stone and Jerome Page among the victims. Quinn didn't have time to mourn their deaths. She heard a scream and ran. She saw a death eater checking the body of Jane Heyward, a member of the Hippogriff Army. The villain was struck by a blow from someone who had come from the other side. It was Professor Neville Longbottom, who looked very hurt. Death eater soon recovered and was going to attack the teacher with everything he had. Quinn shot first.

"Avada Kedrava," Quinn pronounced, making the death eater fall lifeless on the floor. She didn't even think that, for the first time in her life, she had deliberately killed someone. Perhaps it was the famous pragmatism: leaving the opponent alive would not do her any good.

Neville was too wounded to censor the student who possibly saved his life. He leaned against the wall and let his body drop down. Quinn ran to help him. Neville wasn't well. His leg was bruised, his trousers torn in several places, blood trickling down the sleeve of his black cloak and bruises on his face.

"You look like you've had quite a fight." Quinn said to distract him while doing some haemorrhage containment spells to save the current Hogwarts teacher's life.

"They came in by surprise... many died."

"Try not to talk."

"It's the end of Hogwarts... Harry tried to warn... but it was too late..."

"Okay." Quinn tried to do her best to stop the bleeding. She wasn't studying to become a healer, she did not delve into any healing spell beyond the basics. He did not know if he could solve Neville's problems with such knowledge.

"Have you seen your friends? Lopez? Lily?"

"No sir. Luckily, they're out of here."

"You also need to... run away."

"With all due respect, Professor, there is a tremendous battle going on near the hall, and I am not at all anxious to go there and leave you alone. The best we can do is get out of here and go to the perimeter of the castle where we can apparate."

"Fabray... Lopez is important. You need to protect her."

"I know. But so are you." Quinn tried to pick up the teacher in vain. "What if I make you float?"

"No. That will leave you vulnerable. I just need five minutes, okay?"

Quinn sat next to the teacher and watched the lights coming from the front of the castle. A few minutes passed when Santana found them. The chosen one seemed relieved to find her friend and teacher alive, despite Neville's battered appearance.

"What are you doing here?" Neville snorted.

"It's a pleasure to see you too, Professor." Santana was in watchful mode. She looked at the environment and was also concerned about the movement that came from the side of the room. "You need to get out of here. Rachel, Lily and the others went to the precise room. They must be on the way to old Dumbledore's house by now."

"We need to get him out of here to fix him somewhere safe," Quinn said urgently.

"I'm too hurt to apparate," Neville said.

"What's going on there?" Santana fretted over the movement near the hall.

"San, you need to get out of here. The death eaters have hinted that they are hunting you."

"Really? So those who have tried to kill me now must have mistaken me for someone." Santana looked back into the room as the noise of battle ceased. "Who won?"

The answer wasn't long in coming. They heard closer and closer footsteps. Alumni Hufflepuffs and Slytherins in the greater began to fill the hall of the castle, as they appeared, made the frown and pointed the wands towards Santana, Quinn and Neville.

"Hey! By the way, am I dressed like a death eater?" Santana stayed ahead of her friend and the teacher. "Point that wand somewhere else."

"Why would they do that, Lopez?" Samuel questioned as soon as he entered the hall almost triumphantly. "If that's your fault." Students brought men bound. One of them was apparently Juan Lopez. Seeing her tied and bruised father upset her like she never thought she could. "Your father confessed everything."

"My father is out of the country! And even if he were here, he would never take part in a carnage! Clearly this guy is an impostor. Obviously that's a lot of polijuice." Santana pointed the wand at her supposed father, but was disarmed by a Hufflepuff. "Then finish the spell you, since you believe in this idiot." She shouted at her colleague who disarmed her. "Accio." And the wand came back into her hands again.

"How terrible to see your mask crumble, isn't it, Lopez?" Samuel stepped forward to stand before the greatest adversary.

"I don't know, Evans, I've never used one." Santana looked around. Colleagues and some of the teachers didn't seem to believe her. She looked at the captured death eaters, especially at what was supposed to be Juan Lopez.

"Daughter..." The home said in a weak, appealing voice. "... it's over... you'd better surrender." That was all Santana needed to hear to confirm that Juan Lopez was fake. If it had been her father, he would have thrown himself at someone, even risking his life, to see his daughter free.

"Your attack has killed Gryffindors," Santana told Evans, ignoring the others completely. "His attack killed Blaine Anderson, kids, injured teachers. What for, Evans? Are these lives worth a cheap racist ideology? For you to be the supreme mighty of 20 people? For you to govern a society by fear, not by admiration and justice?"

"I don't know, Lopez. You were the one who set up the massacre. You tell me!"

"The truth will come, Evans." Santana drew back, bracing herself for the clash.

Samuel was the first to attack, being defended by Santana, who counterattacked. The improvement in Samuel's dueling techniques was remarkable. He was stronger, with better reflections. The two duelled hard, promoting a show of lights coming out of their wands and many of them bounced toward the audience. Samuel used many spells of attacks with explosive effects, forcing Santana to be defensive almost all the time. Now she conjured up variations of proteges, now invested in expelliarmus at a certain moment, Santana defended an attack of green light that came out of the tip of Samuel's wand. The spell bounced toward a Ravenclaw student who fell dead.

Samuel continued to attack, not realizing that some of the students, upon seeing his colleague dead due to a clear avada kedavra, began to question.

A stream of red light from the tip of Santana's wand met with a spurt of green light coming out of Samuel's wand, producing the effect priori incantantem. Santana's red light was more powerful, quickly won that of Samuel's. She stepped over him and disarmed him.

"Impedimenta," Santana conjured verbally, causing Samuel to be pushed against a column.

She approached with her wand pointed at her opponent. Everything could end there. She had only the courage to pronounce the words. Killing someone for a greater good couldn't be so horrible.

But a student, a Hufflepuff, got in between her and Samuel. That made Santana retreat.

"What is that?"

"You're not going to get out of here victorious, Lopez. I won't let it happen."

Santana stepped back to where Quinn and Neville were.

"You're Hufflepuffs," Santana said loudly. "You should know better."

Santana thought it was the end. That mass of mostly Hufflepuff and Slytherin students would not forgive her and she could do nothing but accept fate. She honestly thought it was the end. She knelt beside Neville and Quinn and closed her eyes.


	16. Year 7 - part 4

Santana opened her eyes at once and breathed deeply, almost desperately, as if she'd had a respiratory arrest. The feeling in her body was horrible. She could feel her muscles burning at the slightest movement. It was as if she had taken the mother of all the beatings. She could taste blood on her mouth, on her lips. She was lying on the hard ground in a damp, cold place with sparse light. Santana realized that she was trembling with pain and cold. She was dressed in the same clothes, but she was without her shoes. Her T-shirt was dirty with dust and dried blood, and her coat was ripped up her sleeve. She sat down on the stone floor and tried to probe the environment. It seemed to be in the dungeons near Slytherin's house. She always looked at the place more like a museum than a structure that really had utility.

Santana went to the railing and saw that Donald Bresley, the janitor, was on duty as a lookout. He was a squib. A poor fellow just like his predecessor Argus Filch, retired after the second war wizard and decorated as a hero. Filch received a fat retirement and bought a place in the north of England with a few heads of sheep. He died in a warm bed and was found days later by his Muggle neighbors. Bresley was just an ignoramus shouting at the house elves. Santana didn't even look at him. He was a nobody she never gave a damn about. She liked Bilbo better, the grumpy elf in the kitchen, rather than the janitor.

"Hey..." Her voice came out hoarse, her mouth swollen. The throat was strange, bruised, as if someone had hanged her. "Hey!" she said louder to get the janitor's attention. "Can I get some water?"

"No. You can die of thirst."

Santana could conjure water without wand, but she needed at least some container. That cell had nothing like it, and without a wand she would not risk transfiguration. She leaned against the cold wall with some difficulty. She didn't remember the blow she'd taken to leave her in that state, but it was certainly something strong and perhaps explosive, like the confringo.

"Hey!" Santana called again for Bresley.

"I told you not to bother me," the janitor said irritably.

"If you don't get me some water, I swear I'll make you pay when you get out of here."

Bresley got up from his chair and walked slowly to the cell. He held the bar and pressed his old and abused face against it. Her greasy hair fell over her forehead, partially covering one eye.

"Don't hurry, young girl" he said, revealing the broken lower central incisor tooth. "You're going to get out of here straight to the ax, like it used to be."

"Are you planning on killing me?" Santana's voice was several shades lower.

"I've heard of a trial for the deaths you caused. Your sentence is already written." The janitor sniffed his nose. "It's the new order, little girl. You lost. You still want some water?"

Trial with death sentence? They were banished many years ago from the Ministry of Magic. If one is speaking in sentences already written for meaningless judgments, made only for the spectacle, it is because the government collapsed. Hermione Granger and Harry Potter fell. A feeling of emptiness began in the stomach and spread through the rest of the body. It was a feeling of hopelessness and panic that made her sick.

"What have you done with Professor Longbottom?"

"Longbottom is your cell neighbor. Don't you see? Maybe because he's half-dead." He smiled uneasily. "I'd say he's better than you. At least he's going to be completely dead soon and won't even feel that bad."

Santana allowed to feel sorry for herself for two minutes. It was long enough to mourn her misfortune. She had the ax in her neck, so she couldn't afford to settle. She began to think about the possibilities at hand. She could use wandless magic, could use it to erase the janitor mind and open both hers and Longbottom's cell. The point was that everyone at Hogwarts knew what Santana was capable of and may well have been wary of it, conjuring up alarm spells. Without a good escape route, the effort would be no good: Santana was physically exhausted and wounded, even superficially.

Santana regretted that she hadn't researched more about the cells of the dungeons. If she were in the black tower, she would have a good chance of getting away. Santana got up with some difficulty, a movement that provoked an ironic grunt from Bresley.

"Professor!" Santana said aloud. Since she didn't hear an answer, she tried again. "Professor!"

"Shut up!" Bresley warned menacingly.

Santana made the gesture, as if throwing something against the janitor. The man suddenly put both hands to his throat and tried to scream without success. He ran to the chair and picked up a hand bell, swinging it vigorously.

"This is the alarm..." Santana thought. "Too stupid."

Immediately a group of three students with pointed wands ran to the dungeons: two Hufflepuffs and one Slytherin. Hufflepuff checked to see if the caretaker was well while the other two approached the cell.

"Can't you get through a day without making trouble, Lopez?" The fifth-year Slytherin tried to cast a spell to cause a small blast near Santana. It did not have much effect.

"I want water," Santana demanded. "If I'm going to die after a fake and spectacular trial, I deserve to have a glass of water first, right?"

"We'll send an elf," Hufflepuff mused.

"I also demand to speak to Quinn Fabray."

"You're in no position to demand anything." The Slytherin replied.

"If I'm going to die, I deserve at least to say what I think for that bitch."

"I'll see what I can do, Lopez. Until then, I suggest you behave."

The Slytherin took over as guard, while the Hufflepuffs took the janitor away, probably to the infirmary. She sat down again on the cold stone floor and waited.

...

There were times when Lily would like wizards to be as slow as Muggles to perform certain tasks. The reform of a freight wagon, for example. If it was with the others, the job would take a few days. With magic it was different: such work took minutes. From the little window of the impromptu jail room, Lily watched the preparations to lead the captured and conspired students to London. She heard about a judgment whose sentence was already set. From the court at the Ministry of Magic, everyone would be led to Azkaban.

She should have predicted that the only unlocked Hogwarts passage for Hogsmeade would be guarded. Zabini defeated and arrested Abeforth Dumbledore. He and the henchmen waited for the students who tried to escape through the room. It could have been a massacre. The death eaters could have cornered the students, mostly Gryffindors, and killed them all. Instead, they saw that the survivors could serve a better purpose, being examples of what will happen to those who oppose the new order.

Lily didn't want to leave Hogwarts. She would wait for her girlfriend until the last second. She was caught in a dirty blow applied by Finn. The big guy believed he was doing it right because it was Santana's will. But he ended up doing him, Lily and Rachel being prisoners in the ambush.

"Accio rock!" Lily tried to conjure without a wand. She glimpsed the object of the tiny impromptu prison window at Hogsmeade station. All she could do was get the lemon-sized rock out a few inches from the place of origin. "Accio rock!" She insisted, and the effect repeated itself. "Damn it!"

"Not everyone can conjure without a wand," Marley said gloomily. "Believe me, I tried."

"Not true," Lily snapped. "The Africans can, Santana can... any wizard can do it. It's just a matter of training."

"Africans do it because they've been trained to do it since they were little." Marley continued in a low tone. "And Santana is not exactly like the rest of us."

"She's a powerful witch, of course. But she's not an alien," Lily snapped.

"Sometimes I think so," Rachel said with a momentary ironic humour that didn't even infect herself. "What's the point in practicing something useless?"

"What's the point of staying here with your arms crossed? In an hour we will all be taken to London as prisoners and we will be convicted simply because we survived a massacre." Lily protested with her colleagues. "I wasn't raised to act like cattle in the slaughterhouse. If you want to stay here without trying anything, fine. It's your problem." Lily turned once more to the barred window. "Accio stone!" The object this time came to leave some of the ground.

Lily examined the confinement site. They were in a room whose only contact with the outside world was through the narrow barred window. The door was locked and people could hear voices and footsteps. Inside the room were, besides the daughter of Harry Potter, Rachel, Marley, Finn, Hugo, Lysander, Mercedes, Kurt, Melissa, Bail and three other Gryffindors. There were a few other survivors, including Professor Michael Corner, in another pavilion. Lily didn't know what the death eaters had done with the wands. It was probable that they had merely confined the magical objects.

"Accio wand!" Lily said, reaching out of the little window.

Nada.

"Psiu. Hey!" Someone whispered outside.

Lily immediately peeked out the window and could barely see the first-year boy under the window.

"Who are you?" Lily whispered. As the boy lifted his face, Lily recognized him vaguely. It seemed to be one of the boys she and Santana had saved at Hogwarts. The first ones Santana had ordered to hide and leave the castle flying.

"Here. You'll need it." The boy handed Lily a wand and run away without a word.

"What he..." Lily didn't let Rachel complete the question.

He made a sign of silence for everyone and showed a wand.

"What are you waiting for? Let's get out of here!" Rachel screamed whispering.

"No." Finn restrained his girlfriend. "We won't have a chance to escape now. We'll have to wait for the right time."

"Whose is it?" Hugo approached his cousin and studied the wand.

"I don't know. I don't think it belongs to anyone from here." Lily looked at Lysander, who was crouching in the corner, sweating cold and yellow from the pain in his broken leg. "Bail? You're the closest here to be a healer. What you can do to Lys?"

"That's not mine. Everything can go horribly wrong if it doesn't obey me."

"At those times I prefer a Muggle doctor." Rachel grunted. "They know what to do with their own hands."

"Listen, Bail, if his leg is not put in the place soon, he's going to die."

Bail took the wand and knelt in front of Lysander. He made even greater tears in his colleague's pants to analyze the severity of the injury. Lysander's leg was purple and he could see the broken bone pressing against the skin. It was possible that the injury was aggravated between the frustrated escape and the capture. Bail pointed the wand at Lysander leg. He hesitated. He took a deep breath. And backed away.

"Someone stick a piece of cloth in his mouth, please."

Hugo volunteered. He took off his coat, folded his sleeve, and placed the cloth in his friend's mouth. Bail concentrated again. If the wand didn't obey it would be a disaster. He counted down and summoned.

Predictably, Lysander shouted at the dirty cloth filling his mouth.

"I think it's in place, but you have to immobilize." Bail handed the wand back to Lily.

Marley and Hugo tried to calm down Lysander. Consolation wouldn't help in the face of immense pain. Lily, without thinking twice, left her friend unconscious.

"It didn't obey me right." Lily said. "Did you feel that, Bail?"

"It worked enough and that's what matters."

"Can I see that wand?" One of the Gryffindors, named Charles, asked. Lily passed the wand to him, who began to analyze it immediately. "I don't know exactly what the core of this wand is. It's probably unicorn hair, because wood is an oak tree."

"So what?" Lily asked.

"It works best in the hands of pure sorcerers of the heart, with no inclination to practice the arts of darkness."

"That basically excludes everyone here," Rachel quipped.

"Not all of them," Lily replied. She walked over to Marley, holding out the wand to the girl. "Hide the wand. Use it only at my signal, okay?"

Marley nodded and smiled in thanks for the vote of confidence. Lily looked back at the window. It was dusk and the temperature dropped rapidly. She thought of her parents, her family. Lily thought of her girlfriend. She prayed that everyone would be well wherever they were.

...

It was hard to count the dead. Blaine Anderson, Lohanne Stone, Jerome Page, Jane Heyward, Tina Chang, and Sugar Motta were among the familiar faces. Most of the dead belonged to the houses of Gryffindor and Ravenclaw. It was obvious why Samuel would especially attack the Gryffindors: to eliminate as much opposition. But what about the Ravenclaws? Perhaps because the logical sense of a Ravenclaw was always a potential threat in the construction of a dictatorial regime. Quinn Fabray finished making the list. A total of 59 students and three teachers, including William Schuester, were killed during the battle, and Gryffindor was almost decimated.

Quinn knew she would be tried for her decision. Who would be forever seen as a traitor. But seeing Santana giving in to her colleagues who chose the other side, and Professor Longbottom unable to react, she had to make a decision. So she stood up, pointed her wand at her best friend, and struck the blow, striking Santana at point-blank range. The scene came to mind all the time. She stood up, Santana opening her eyes and turning her face toward her best friend. There was that second of hope that Quinn was about to break, in the next to see the expression of complete disappointment.

What could she do? The situation was lost and she needed to buy time. Quinn was a survivor and made use of such instincts to save everyone the way she thought was the best way out.

"Fabray." He heard Professor Flora Carrow behind her.

"Yes?" She turned to the mentor.

"Have you finished the bookkeeping?"

"Yes ma'am. What are we going to do now?"

"Let's finish all the identifications and send them to the official registry. We will give the relatives the chance to rescue the bodies, and those who don't want or can, will be burned."

"Yes ma'am."

"And Fabray?"

"Yes?"

"The prisoner demanded to see you as a desire before the condemnation."

"But I have nothing to say to her."

"You don't need to say anything. What you need to know is where your loyalty rest. Evans isn't an idiot. Much less his mentor."

"Do you mean Blaise Zabini?"

"Yes, Zabini and I are old acquaintances. His conviction is... remarkable. He is also ungenerous with those he considers traitors."

Quinn frowned not knowing why the head teacher of Slytherin's house had told her that. She threatened to panic. What had she done?

…

Simons appeared into Santana's cell. Without speaking to her, he only left a wooden tray with a piece of bread and a glass of water on the floor. The elf immediately apparated, leaving the way clear for Santana to check the courtesy that was being dispensed to him. The bread was so dry it must have been made two to three days ago. As Santana couldn't complain about services, she took a sip of water and closed her eyes feeling the water down her throat. Apart from the horrible taste in her mouth, the freshness was wonderful.

Santana set aside half the water for later. She picked up the dried bread and began to eat it. She felt something different in her mouth and took out an enchanted piece of paper to keep from getting wet. She looked at her colleague who was watching her. The colleague didn't seem interested in seeing her eat dry bread and drink water. She continued to eat. Even dry, the bread wasn't bad. Santana ate it whole and then drank the rest of the water. She leaned against the wall on the darker side of the cell and carefully opened the paper. On the crumpled piece of paper was a rudimentary drawing. It was a map of the dungeons with 'x' marked in two spaces and what appeared to be the local sewer system.

Surely, it was designed by an elf. Those creatures couldn't write, but drawing was no problem. Merlin blessed be the house elves, Santana thought. No one knew that castle better than those creatures. The problem Santana identified on the map was that the opening to the sewer system was in a third saddle. For her to free herself and Longbottom, she would have to calculate the time very well. She walked over to the cell and leaned her face against the iron so she could see the cell she needed to reach. The door was open, and Santana internally celebrated one less obstacle.

"Professor?" She said still loudly from the edge of the saddle. "Professor?"

"Shut the hell up!" Her colleague watched her.

"You shut up or I'll shut you up like I did to the janitor." Santana replied, leaving the coworker intimidated. "Professor!"

"Yes..." Santana was relieved to hear Neville's weak voice.

"Are you okay?"

"I'm holding on..."

"That's good, Professor. Do you have water?"

"No."

"Why didn't you give him water?" Santana shouted at her colleague. "Why isn't anyone taking care of our headmaster?"

"That's none of your business!"

Santana was ready to attack his colleague. Her anger over the disregard was so great that she felt her hand tingle with energy. But she had to control herself. Without a wand she would tire herself, and she had to spare herself to the utmost if she wanted to run away with Professor Longbottom. Santana had to figure out the hours first. Fleeing at dawn could be easier than in broad daylight. Trouble was, she had no idea of the time in the dungeons. She didn't even have a watch. Having a watch was something for adults and they represented prestige, especially among men. They liked to use the ones in their pocket, those with chains that fastened them to their clothes. Everything else was enough for the wall ones. In the dungeons, there was only one in the Slytherin communal room. Santana never understood well because individual watches were so masculine. Perhaps it was a reflection of the patriarchal society in which the parents gave their sons such gold-plated objects that had been in the family for many generations. Analyzing this, she decided to take a guess.

"Professor!" She shouted toward the neighbouring cell. "Professor!"

"No need to shout, Lopez." Neville answered in a weak voice. "I'm injured, not deaf."

"Do you know what time it is?"

"Are you late for some commitment, Lopez?" The colleague who watched her scorned.

"I told you to shut up."

"It's nine-fifteen... I can't tell if it's day or night," Neville replied.

"At night, idiot." The grumpy colleague replied.

"Thank you, sirs." Santana sat down again on the cold floor of the cell.

Santana massaged her feet, which were like popsicles and very sore. She rubbed the skin in the hope of warming them a little. She closed her eyes, visualized the concentrated heat in her hands, and tried to warm her feet a little with magic. It worked at first until she lost control of the warmth in her hands, which made her palms resting on the cold rock. It seemed like there wasn't much to do. If she took off her coat and wrapped her feet in a few minutes, she would be clapping her chin.

"Can I have a pair of socks?" Santana said to her colleague.

"Fuck you" was the answer.

Santana tried to walk in the cell, to jump, to do anything that would help to warm up, in spite of all discomfort due to the injuries that had by the body. It wasn't going to work, besides, she needed all the strength to escape. She heard the noise of people approaching. She looked down the hall to see who was. She took a deep breath as she identified Quinn Fabray in company with Professor Flora Carrow. Santana asked to see her friend, but the situation made her believe that a punch in the stomach would be much more comfortable.

"Professor Carrow. I can't say it's a pleasure."

"The feeling is reciprocal."

"I can imagine. You must have always hated having a Gryffindor in Slytherin, right?"

"She never knew," Neville said as loudly as he could. "Carrow never knew, Lopez. That was the ours fault, not hers. Which is not to say that Carrow isn't an idiot."

"So they're two idiots," Santana added. "Carrow and Fabray. Two traitors."

"Is that what you wanted to see me for, Lopez? To call me a traitor?" Quinn took a defiant stance and approached the cell.

"Actually, I was hoping you'd regret what you did to kick everyone's ass here and help me escape." Santana said in a tone of disregard.

"Really?" Quinn raised her infamous eyebrow.

"For you to see how stupid I am. You change sides according to your convenience. Always was like this and always will be. I should have learned, Fabray. You'll never change."

"Neither have you, Lopez. You will always be impulsive and careless. You are not a leader. You're just a pawn someone gave too much importance to."

"It's all right. I can live with it. The question is: can you?"

Quinn grabbed the grille and forced a smile.

"I know what your great fear is. Your Boggart. It's not hard to figure out, Lopez. Wants to know? We have it. Both. Get ready to lose everyone you love." Quinn reached out and reached for the collar of her friend's coat. "By the way, happy birthday."

Santana swallowed hard and tried her best to stop herself. She wasn't going to give her hand to the enemy. Quinn turned her back and joined the teacher out of the dungeons, leaving Santana in doubt as to who Quinn was referring to: mother, sister, or girlfriend? Any combination of the three would be very bad, in the concept of the chosen one. She sat down on the cold floor and put her hands to her head.

"Lopez?" She heard Neville's weak voice.

"Not now, Professor."

"Don't lose focus. You still have a lot to do. Don't let yourself be shaken. That's exactly what they want."

"What difference does it make? I'm not even going to get out of here alive. "

...

Samuel rubbed his hands and then blew hot breath between them. He put on his coat and hat. It had been twenty-four hours since the rising of the revolution, as Zabini had baptized, and it wasn't yet believed that victory had been so easy. There would be a new government in the Ministry of Magic and the reforms were about to begin. Samuel had done his part inside Hogwarts by enabling a magical teleportation into the school, inspired by the story that Zabini told of how death eaters infiltrated to kill Albus Dumbledore. The procedure was exactly the same as Draco Malfoy performed two decades earlier. Instead of allowing the passage of a few, a death eaters' army invaded the school.

The plan was clear: to decimate as many Gryffindors as possible, to attack the Ravenclaws in case of resistance (which actually happened). They staged an attack on Hufflepuff to allow Samuel to lead the counterattack. As for the Slytherins? They tried to keep the minimum losses. The teachers were cornered in their own rooms, except for those who were sympathetic to the cause, as was the case with Flora Carrow.

While Hogwarts was attacked, so was the Ministry of Magic. The uprising attacked all the Auror posts, eliminating as many qualified resistances as possible. They invaded Azkaban, freed the prisoners, and invaded the Ministry of Magic. All perfectly coordinated Antonin Dolohov. As it would be more complicated to establish order with a former direct disciple of Voldemort in power, Zabini would be the new ruler until naturally succeeded by the pupil.

Zabini walked to the covered bridge and stood next to Samuel. He watched the night landscape in silence for a few minutes.

"Soon we will complete the first step." Zabini shared the information with the pupil. "And with such a bonus. We'll do our best to get Lopez executed in two days, at the most."

"I could have killed her." Samuel was still annoyed at the subject. He didn't like being beaten by the opponent in front of everyone.

"What we got here was an opportunity. Killing Lopez by the force of the new justice will have more effect than death in a duel that teenagers and a few adults have witnessed. No, my dear friend. The Hogsmeade trial will have the effect we want."

"That's not what the prophecy says."

"The prophecy says that you were destined to confront each other. It happened and you won."

"Master, you are many things, but you are not stupid. You saw what happened. I lost the duel."

"And what happened then?"

"I was saved by Hufflepuffs and Fabray knocked Lopez down."

"Exact. My dear student, Slytherins and Gryffindors are destined to hate each other. Ravenclaws don't care. Who do you think forms the fundamental rock of our world?"

"Hufflepuffs."

"Exactly. Our victory began when they sent you to Hufflepuff while she went to Slytherin. Isn't it ironic?"

"Even so..."

"Accept the fact that you wouldn't defeat her in a frank duel. She is more powerful. Many are more powerful and so it will be until you build the wand."

"If she's going to die, what's the point?"

"The point is the future!" Zabini looked at the pupil's face and tried to decipher it. He didn't understand why Samuel had been so resilient from one moment to the next with the idea of leaving. Then he remembered an important detail: the girl. "Oh... Quinn Fabray. You want her ardently. And you will have her. It's up to you."

"I want her to want me. But if she never wants me for good, I'll take her the other way."

"Soon, you'll have to wait. Quinn Fabray still needs to be watched and tested. You can't let her in without guarantees. We can do this while you are on your journey."

"Mr. Zabini?" A sixth grader interrupted the conversation between master and pupil.

"Yes?"

"We searched all over the castle. There are no signs of the whereabouts of Professor Flitwick and the others."

Zabini frowned. Flitwick led the escape of some Ravenclaws and teachers, such as Padma Patil. The dwarf was considered the current most powerful wizard alive in the United Kingdom. Even more so than Hermione Granger and Harry Potter. Flitwick was also a potential threat to immediate plans.

"Take a second scan. And don't bother me if you don't have a confirmation."

"Yes, sir." The student withdrew.

Samuel watched his colleague move away as he rearranged his own thoughts.

...

All were sent to the express, in a freight wagon, in Indian file as if they were cattle for slaughter. The first one to enter was Lily. She leaned against the wall of the dark place and watched the others enter. Lysander went up with Finn and Hugo. He was leaning against the wall of the wagon, causing serious concern to Lily. What she was planning to do could aggravate his condition. She was even considering leaving him behind. It was particularly cold that afternoon, so she was very sorry for Rachel, who has only the robe covering her body. There was nothing to be done for her, and Rachel's situation was likely to worsen. As soon as the last one entered, the wagon was closed and the place went completely dark.

"Marley?" Lily said loudly.

"Here!" The girl answered.

"Stay close to me."

As the train began to move, Lily began to count.

The tension was almost palpable in that wagon. No one spoke at all. In the darkness, Finn tried to wrap Rachel in his lap, hoping she would warm up. Marley was tense, holding a wand that did not belong to her. Marley knew she was central to the plan Lily had in mind, and she didn't even know what it was about. Hugo was beside Scamander. Melissa was holding Bail's hand and trembling. Mercedes and Kurt were hugged, fearful, uncertain of their fate. Kurt, in particular, still suffered the pain of losing her boyfriend.

About twenty minutes after the expresso began to walk, Lily stopped counting. She took Marley's hand and stood up.

"Get out of the way," Lily said imperiously, though bumping into many because of the pitch. "Everyone! Get off that side of the car! Move away from the door. "

Lily wasn't listening to anyone. Everyone spoke at the same time, but she was only interested in getting them out of the way. When she reached the goal, she pulled Marley close to her and pointed to the door of the car.

"Explode it."

"Lily?" Marley was fearful.

"Explode? You can make us derail!" Melissa argued. "Are you crazy?"

"Marley!" Lily said without listening to the others. "If you don't blow that door, I will... and that wand doesn't work well with me."

"I can't!"

"You can and you will!"

"Give me that wand!" Finn tried to take it from Marley, but Lily pushed him away.

"Marley. We're getting over the point. It's now or never. Either you do or I do."

Marley's eyes widened, she took a quick breath, as some women do when they are in labor.

"Bombarda!"

They felt the car rattling. Many lost their balance, including Lily and Marley. When Lily got up, she opened the car door, held it, and looked at her frightened friends.

"I'm going to jump!" Lily warned. "Whoever wants me to come with me. This is the time and place. It's also the best chance we have."

"You're crazy!" Kurt shouted.

"I don't care." With the light carriage in the moonlight and the express outside lighting itself, Lily went to Rachel and grabbed her. "I'm sorry, but if you don't go with me, your sister will never forgive me."

Without thinking twice, she ran and jumped. The impact in the middle of the bush was painful. Lily and Rachel rolled across the floor. Lily felt a sharp pain in her shoulder and was almost certain that it broke or, at the very least, she left the place. Lily looked at the espresso and saw more people jumping out of the car. She couldn't tell who that was, then she looked up at the sky and saw a figure stand above her and Rachel. Dementors. Two of them attacked and sucked. Lily had heard of a dementor attack. Harry Potter said few things were more agonizing than the sense of a sinister specter sucking the soul. Lily shouted. They screamed. It was as if all hope suddenly disappeared, as if the good memories were becoming murky. Lily thought there was no escape, that everything was lost.

That was when she saw a light that astonished the dementors.

Lily looked away. In the darkness, she saw Marley limping toward them. The train had already passed.

"You're a crazy psychopath!" Marley shouted.

"I agree," Rachel said weakly. "I think I pissed in my panties!"

"Good thing you aren't wearing any. Gather who jumped," Lily commanded, even in a weak voice. "We need to be together..."

"Tell me a good reason for me to obey you?" Marley still spoke angrily.

"Because I'm the one with a plan."

Marley was limping because she injured her ankle in the jump. She did it without thinking, instinctively. As they walked, they met with other colleagues: Finn Hudson, Melissa Brown, Bail Onyo. To Marley's surprise, Lysander and Hugo also jumped. They gathered in the moonlight. The cold was almost unbearable, especially in that part of England.

"Can you tell us what madness this is?" Finn raged.

"Perth!" Lily lifted her face, moist as well from the tears that fell from the pain in her shoulder. "I think I shifted my shoulder..."

"Perth?" Finn was in doubt.

"Perth is the largest muggle town near Hogwarts," Hugo explained. "The express passes about 20 km from that city." Then she looked around. "This is the farm area after we left Cairgorms National Park... Wow, Lily, if we're really in the right place, you were great."

Hogwarts was in the national park of Cairgorms, which was a mountainous and preserved region in the north of Scotland, near the coast of the country. Lily counted the minutes because she knew the express took about half an hour to reach Hogwarts after she passed near Perth. It was also a valley region with many farms, which meant that they would be more likely to jump in a safe and little stony area. The Express would descend southwards between Glasgow and Edinburgh, reach the north of England, where it would pass through the Yorkshire Dales Park as it curved toward London.

There were about 400 km away from where they were until North York Moors, which was on the east coast of England. Lily knew she could jump at a closer distance. Perhaps in Yorkshire, that distance would be reduced to a quarter. But it would be riskier because it would not have the accuracy of travel time. Perth was a safe bet, or less imprecise than the other options. In addition, the city, besides being of reasonable size, had no relation with wizards, which was an advantage, since the risks with death eaters would be minimized. From Perth, they could easily reach Dundee, where Lily knew she could contact a trusted person who would take the group to their final destination in North York Moors.

"Okay, so we're going to this town... and then?" Finn was still irritated.

"We'll find a way to get to North York Moors," Lily explained.

"Why?" Finn continued to question.

"Because that's where resistance will be formed."

...

Santana wanted to scream. Quinn's visit was a mistake. She should never have asked to confront her. That cold dawn she huddled against the prison rock. There was no blanket, no shoes, no socks. Just a loaf and a glass of water in her stomach since she survived the uprising and was arrested. Santana put her arms inside her inappropriate jacket for the chill she was in and was in a fetal position. She stared at the sparse light from the dungeon corridor. The lookout had been changed. It was another colleague, a Slytherin, who was in a comfortable chair, warm clothing, blanket. The young man was asleep and Santana wasn't far from doing the same thing in much less favourable conditions.

Santana didn't know if it was the weariness, but she thought her vision had nailed a piece to her when she saw someone in black clothes and a hood pointing the wand at the lookout and blowing it off. She was on the alert as the strange presence approached the cell. She jumped up and didn't believe it when she saw the identity.

"Quinn?"

Quinn raised her forefinger to her lips in silence. She showed a key to her friend and opened the cell.

"How?" Santana came out of the captivity and whispered.

"Simons."

Santana nodded and pointed to the cell next door. She saw Professor Neville asleep, lying on a stretcher. There was a tray with a glass of water and a plate of leftover food next to it. At least they were not so inhumane.

"Open up," Santana ordered Quinn.

"He's going to be late."

"I'm not leaving here without him."

Quinn took a deep breath and resigned herself. She took the key and opened the teacher's cell. Santana knelt beside Neville and began slapping the man's face to wake him. Neville woke up in a scare and was soon restrained by the two students.

"What?" He said confused.

"Let's get out of here. Can you walk?" Santana helped him to his feet. Neville was badly wounded, but it was a relief to see that he was far from half dead, as was boasted. "Quinn ... where?" Santana asked as she helped Neville to his feet. She mumbled a little as the professor pulled the weight against her.

"The precise room... but I don't know if we can get there carrying the teacher."

"Let's not go that way."

Santana walked to the cell indicated by Simons. The door was open. She motioned for Quinn to accompany her and her teacher.

"Lock the cell."

"Are you crazy?" Quinn protested.

"Do what I say, Fabray!"

"I've heard of this cell..." Neville struggled to the rocky wall in the background. "Lopez... put your hand here." She took the student's hand and pressed it against a bulge in the rock. "Focus and turn the knob. Use the magic."

"Okay, Obi Wan." Santana concentrated.

The bulge didn't turn. In addition, it sank into the wall, revealing a kind of door. Santana and Neville didn't hesitate and went through the opening. Quinn grunted. She was sure she had a better plan than that. As she crossed the door, she conjured lumber. Santana took advantage of the sparse lighting to close the passage.

"What place is this?" Quinn allowed herself to say louder, certain that the rock wall wouldn't let the sound leak.

"Passage to the castle's original river system," Neville explained excitedly. "I thought this was a legend."

"Legend?" Quinn was still unsure.

"The castle underwent a renovation in 1700 and something. The Ministry of Magic had a school year suspended for this. They refit the whole river system, put new pipes, and everything. This reform isolated the original river system, rendering it inaccessible. There was the legend of a passage, but that has never been proven, until now. Santana? How did you know that cell? "

"Simons gave me a map." Santana grabbed the teacher again for the three of them to move forward.

"Makes sense. No one knows this castle better than the elves."

"That elf you flatter gave you a map?" Quinn was puzzled. "As?"

"He put the picture inside my bread. It seems he had a plan from the beginning to save us. Different from certain people." Santana looked across at her friend.

"I said I was going to rescue you," Quinn said defensively.

"When?"

"On the note I stuck to your coat when I wished you happy birthday."

Santana stopped walking for a moment. What note? She checked the inside of her coat. She was surprised to see that there really was a tiny piece of folded paper attached to the fabric.

"Oh!" Santana took off the clothes. "I guess I'd need a magnifying glass to read it from here."

"Don't disdain."

"But what made you change your mind this time, Fabray?"

"I haven't changed my mind, you ungrateful. I knocked you down so, hurting you a little bit, so we could buy some time. I had no plan to join them."

"Brilliant," Neville said, causing Santana to grumble loudly.

"It wasn't so bright what they had them do..."

"What is it?" Santana asked curiously.

"Loading bodies, counting victims, identifying..."

"I'm sorry, Fabray," Neville said softly.

"Someone on the victims that I should know?" Santana sobered.

"Blaine, Sugar, Lohanne, Jerome, Heyward."

"Oh damn! Sugar?" Santana faltered for a moment.

"I'm sorry, San. She was closer to you than to me."

Santana took a deep breath, wiped away the first tears, and continued to walk silently through the narrow, narrow tunnel supporting Professor Neville Longbottom. Quinn went ahead, lighting up with her wand. They needed to find the way out and get away from that castle.

…

"Let's stop, please!" Rachel grunted. "I can't take it anymore."

"No!" Lily ordered. "Can't you see the lights? Perth should be only about 10 km ahead."

"But, Lily!" Marley whimpered. "I can't stand walking anymore. The boys are tired of carrying Lysander, Rachel is freezing and your shoulder is clearly out of place"

"That's why we need a hospital!" Lily screamed in frustration, making the others twist their faces. She put her hand on her dislocated shoulder to reiterate the point. "I need a healer or that doctor thing as much as the rest of you." She steadied her tone so as not to lose control. "Only the nearest hospital is there!"

"Do you know where is it, anyway?" Melissa asked.

"I have no idea." Lily continued walking, determined to reach for the lights that blazed across the horizon. "We've never had business in this city as far as I know. I don't know wizards who live here. Not ironic? Considering we are relatively close to Hogwarts."

"What if we try to apparate?" Hugo suggested. "It's possible at this distance even for me, that I am a beginner. It will be easier to walk on the asphalt than in the middle of the bush."

"The wand doesn't work well with me," Lily said fearfully.

"But it can work for me," Finn challenged. "The wand works with Marley, with that boy and even with you. Why do you think it wouldn't work for me?"

"Okay..." Lily rubbed her head with her good arm. How hard it was to be a leader. The experience wasn't at all friendly in the eyes of the daughter of Harry Potter. She came to understand why her girlfriend hated the idea so much: deciding for a group was difficult. "First recognize the field. Then take two by two: Lysander and Hugo on the first trip."

Marley handed the wand to Finn. First, he made some moves in the air to test the energy. He conjured Lumus and felt some resistance. The wand was pure to heart, as Marley was supposed to be? Couldn't he be like Marley? At least, it was as he always saw himself: as a correct man with no bad intentions and who tried to control his own prejudices. He looked at his girlfriend. Rachel nodded encouragingly.

Finn apparated. He disappeared in the middle of a small pasture near a building. She was glad there wasn't a living soul in the place. He knelt exhausted. Apparating using a wand that wasn't his required a little more control. The tiredness, the cold, the wounds, the frustration, the anger, all got in the way. Finn wanted to scream. Instead, he apparated again.

Finn came among his friends.

"I found a safe place."

"In two minutes?" Bail mocked.

"Who cares? At least that will save the walk." Rachel raged.

"Hugo and Lysander first." Lily reinforced the order.

"Why Hugo? He's the one who's in the best shape." Rachel questioned once again, to make it clear that the whole situation revealed the worst in her.

"Lysander isn't well. Someone in good condition, as you rightly said, needs to be taking care of him while Finn works."

Lily didn't want to leave room for questioning, especially for the young diva. Rachel was never her favourite person. Lily thought her "sister-in-law" was too egocentric, and she was still amazed how Hugo and Rachel had been able to date for so long. Except for the passion for music, Santana's sister and cousin had nothing in common. Hugo has always been human and too sensitive to someone with the ambition of the size of the world.

Finn held onto Lysander and Hugo and zap. Lily stared at the rest of her mates in the middle of nowhere on the pitch of night. They were filthy, tired, hurt to a certain degree. Marley was leaning between Melissa and Bail. The Gryffindor couple had bruises. Everyone had injuries to a greater or lesser extent. Lily's shoulder ached from both the injury and the cold that fueled the discomfort.

Finn was back.

"Lysander won't be able to do it again," Finn warned. "He's in very bad shape. When I'm done with everyone, we'll have to walk through the city to the nearest hospital."

Lily nodded. Apparating tended to aggravate injuries. She herself was afraid of when her turn came. She watched Finn apparate taking Bail, Melissa and Rachel. Lily took a deep breath. Finn was back and took hold of the hand of Lily's good arm and also of Marley. Zap.

They disappeared in the middle of a pasture next to a factory, as Finn had described. Lily sank her knees, and the tears fell free again on her face. She cried without wanting to cry. She saw that Hugo and Bail were holding Lysander fainted. Marley had her hands on her face from the aching throb at her ankle.

"We need to find a hospital," Lily said in a weak, tearful voice.

In front of the pasture passed a road with sparse lighting. They decided to continue on the asphalt. There wasn't a living soul in that region of the city that had almost 50,000 inhabitants. It was nothing compared to the larger urban centers, but Perth could house the entire Witch population of the United Kingdom and there would still be space for muggles.

The road closest to them was short and gave access to a larger highway. There was a closed supermarket on one side and something that seemed to be a mall on the other. The region was deserted. They heard the sound of a car approaching. Lily hitchhiked, hoping for some relief. Instead, the car got thin out of the group: it was being driven by drunken teenagers, bored with the stardust of the northern city of Scotland. They hissed, they screamed. Maybe they would be caught by a police patrol. In fact, if they could get the attention of anyone in a vehicle with any kind of siren would already be a victory at that time.

They followed the dimly lit path. On one side of the track was a series of football and rugby fields. On the other, residential houses. All with lights off, indicating that the residents were gathered. But who, besides drunken teenagers, would risk in such cold night?

"It looks like there's something open up there." Bail pointed to an illuminated establishment.

It was a gas station. They've been hoping to find someone. Anyone. The station was lit, the pumps were working, but the pay window was closed.

"Lily." Rachel said tearfully. "Please, I can't take it anymore. I'm freezing, I'm tired. We need to stop."

There was no way out. They needed to rest. Lily nodded and pointed to the ticket booths. It was better to wait for someone to appear at a point than to wander aimlessly in a city they didn't know. Even to apparate would be difficult. You had to look at where you were going or at least think of some known place that was within reach. Aparatation was a transport for small and medium distances. Only a powerful and physically resistant wizard would be able to set off great distances, like from London to Glasgow. It was something that only wizards like Voldemort, Snape, Dumbledore and Harry Potter could do without problems, that is, a select group of extraordinary.

The sky was grey. The cold was intense. They tried to stay close to each other to warm up. Lily was absolutely silent. She longed for the city to be surrounded by noise pollution. So she would not listen to the contained cries of her friends who cut her heart.


	17. Year 7 - part 5

Hufflepuff ran desperately down the aisles of the dungeons.

"They escaped! They escaped!"

"Who?" Asked another student.

"Lopez and Longbottom! They're gone!"

The students looked at each other in panic more for fear of the consequences of carelessness than they feared the fugitives. After all, if the death eaters were "disjointed" when the students "won" the war, there would be no reason to fear "only" two of them. So why did they tremble so much? It wasn't because of the chill of dawn. Professor Flora Carrow approached the afflicted young men, raised her nose in a haughty way.

"What did you say?"

"Lopez and Longbottom have fled."

"How?" Flora was dismayed. "The alarm would ring if Lopez tried to open the cell with magic..." The head teacher of Slytherin's house shook her head. "Where's Fabray?"

The students looked at each other in confusion. Flora rolled her eyes. She knew no one should be fooled by Quinn Fabray's supposed instinct for self-preservation. The young Slytherin was cunning, smart and intelligent. Unlike heated and impulsive Santana Lopez, who was essentially a Gryffindor, Fabray knew how to reason under pressure, create strategies and well execute them. Flora would be proud of the student if the situation were different.

"Where are the keys?" Flora asked before the still confused students. "The keys to the cells of the dungeon? Where are they? The alarm would sound to anyone who tried to use magic in those cells, but not the actually keys."

"Weren't them with Mr. Zabini?"

"Put everyone on the alert. Those three aren't going to leave this castle alive!"

Flora became impatient with the students and strode hard toward the dormitories where she knew that Zabini and the other surviving Allied teachers were resting. She slammed the door hard, almost pounding on the massive wood.

"Blaise!" Flora continued to pound. "Blaise!" She stopped as soon as she saw the doorknob turn and stepped back.

"Flora?" Zabini answered the door dressed in some of the clothes he wore during the attack. Zabini pressed his sleep-tired eyes. "What's it?"

"Where are the keys to the cells?" Flora asked.

"It's in my coat pocket." He went to the coat rack and checked his pocket. Zabini paled when he discovered that the keys had disappeared. "Where are they?" He asked, already connecting the dots. He pulled on his coat and slipped on his shoes quickly.

"Nobody knows. I believe Fabray betrayed us."

"Didn't I tell you to put her under arrest. Didn't I tell you to not trust in that lesbian mistress?" Zabini raged nervously.

"She was under my watch. And even if she had felled the lookout, how did she get the keys inside your room?"

Zabini stopped, put his hand to his face and pressed his fingers to the base of his nose and closed his eyes.

"Elves... These disgusting creatures are the only ones who can apparate and disappear inside this castle." He stared at the old friend and said in a voice. "Kill them all! Kill all the elves!"

The students rushed to the service areas where the elves used to stay. Many of the students were confused about the way forward, others were reluctant about what to do. But they reached their destination, and found some elves. It was a slaughter.

But not all house elves were in Hogwarts anymore. Simon was one of the fugitives.

...

"You should have packed me at least one sock." Santana grunted. "It was the minimum! I hardly feel my feet anymore."

"Shut up!" Quinn stiffened. "It's warmer here than outside."

It was Quinn's turn to help trim Neville as her friend went ahead with her wand in her hands. Quinn was hating the situation. The old fluvial net smelled badly, the air was dense, muffled, nauseating, as if the oxygen were scalding. They could see almost nothing beyond the range of the light conjured at the end of the wand. The corridors were narrow, dusty. The ceiling was low, forcing the three of them to go bowed. To complete, the feeling of claustrophobia, the old hammock was like a labyrinth.

"Your wand has a strange energy," Santana observed.

"Because it's mine and obey me better!"

"In this case, you have a strange energy." Santana continued to tease, causing Neville's brief laugh. The professor then began to cough, showing that it wasn't a good idea to react to the silly discussion between the students. "Are you okay, professor?"

"Don't bother. Let's continue." Neville knew it wouldn't be good business to ask the girls to stop teasing. The situation was uncomfortable, he and Santana were injured, and he recognized that his conditions were worse. Teasing was a good way to forget pain, cold, and discomfort.

"Lumus maxima." Santana conjured up to look a little further. The wand gave a flash of strong light and then normalized again. "This is useless!"

"Why don't you conjure without your wand to see if your finger glows like that of E.T thing?"

"Nice." Santana chuckled. "Who would have thought you knew E.T."

"I watched this movie with Rachel in New York while you and your mother had gone out to talk to that auror."

"She didn't show you Funny Girl? That's a miracle." Santana spoke and looked ahead.

"No. She wanted to prove to me that Muggles had a good imagination. But all I saw was the ugliest creature in the world who had a rising finger."

"Ha!" Santana smiled. "E.T is a classic!"

"Do you like the classics?" Neville asked.

"They are the best."

"And your sister likes musicals?" Neville asked, trying to sound steady and casual.

"It's not any musical: she likes Barbra Streisand's musicals. When Rachel was younger, her father took her to meet Streisand. He's a set designer, you know? He had been hired to make the sets of a play by Streisand's son... anyway... my mother says that Rachel came back from there in wonder, because Streisand sang a verse of a song for her. Since then, she has seen all the films that Streisand has done at least 20 times each and has been to a couple of or three shows."

"Interesting," Quinn mused. "I thought Rachel wanted to be a singer because of your mother."

"My mother is an extraordinary singer, but she's never had a chance. Having two daughters when she was very young didn't help her career... I mean... I was very well living in London with my father, but Rachel was a baby when my mother was still trying to build a career in musical theater. It didn't work. That's why she turned out to be director of corals and, occasionally, voice coach of mediocre actors."

"What about you, Santana? Want to pursue a career?" Neville asked, making the student reflect for a moment.

"If my life were normal, I would play Quidditch professionally. Preferably in the Pride of Portree."

"Portree? Aren't you Londoner?" The professor became curious.

"I am, but my father was born in Portree, the Lopez settled there when they migrated... I think that's why everyone cheers on Pride in my family."

"You can still do that." Neville tried to be hopeful. "Play Quidditch."

"You want to fool who, Professor? I can't have a normal life. At least, not until I kill Evans."

"Nothing is defined by someone's death, Lopez."

"Then rewrite the prophecy you pursued to happen, and tell that to the idiots who want to kill us in the public square."

Neville had no arguments against the student. He thought for the umpteenth time that if the character of the prophecy was Finn Hudson, his favourite student, it would all be easier. Neville still couldn't get used to the chosen one personality. The passive-aggressive acceptance Santana had of her own destiny, the sharp responses, the arrogant attitude. On the other hand, that uncomfortable situation revealed characters. Neville always tried to think of Santana as a necessary evil, there, wounded and being helped by students who came to despise, began to see a real person.

"It's not like I'm going to kill anyone," Santana added in a low tone. "Maybe I'll put Hudson on my list... anyway... the problem is I have no choice. Two enter the ring and only one leaves alive, right? Wasn't that so with Voldemort and Mr. Potter?"

"Except We didn't have a ring." Neville signaled to Quinn to stop for a moment. He couldn't stand it anymore. "Lopez, give me five minutes, please."

Santana stopped and approached the others. They sat on the floor of the tight place. You could barely see each other's faces because the light from the end of the wand had difficulty overcoming the pitch.

"It wasn't a ring," Neville rambled, breaking the brief silence. "Harry didn't kill either, you know. Technically, the Dark Lord killed himself."

"It's not what people say." Quinn scoffed.

"What people? Your father? Russell Fabray is older than me. He wasn't even at Hogwarts when it happened."

"My father was there," Santana revealed. "He was in his second year and fled the castle along with other smaller students around the precise room."

"Yes, Argus Filch helped the children out of the castle. It was even decorated for bravery... I was fighting along with Luna, Hermione, Ron... the whole Army and the Order of the Phoenix, the Aurors... all were together against you-know-who and the army of dearth eaters. Godric Gryffindor's sword appeared to me inside the sorting hat. It saved my life. At one point, I saw Nagini."

"Nagini?"

"You-know-who's pet snake who was also a horcrux. I cut her with Godric Gryffindor's sword. It turned to dust and had no more horcrux left to guarantee the immortality of you-know-who. The fight was between Harry and him. You-know-who was in possession of the elder wand while Harry conjured expelliarmus with someone else's wand. I think it was Hermione's."

"Potter disarmed Voldemort with a borrowed wand? I doubt it." Quinn said.

"It turns out you know-who was with the wand that belonged to Harry. The elder wand refused to kill who it had loyalty to and the avada kedavra returned against you-know-who. He died in the middle of the hall like any mortal. So much evil, so much power… Suddenly, he was there in the middle of the hall... just a body. Harry took back his wand."

"Really?" Quinn was interested. "If he has the most powerful of wands then why he never used it?"

"Harry destroyed it," Neville continued. "Only Ron and Hermione witnessed the moment. Harry broke it in the middle and threw it into the lake. He said that no one should have such power, which was very dangerous, a risk. I think he's right. Power doesn't necessarily corrupt, but it's capable of potentializing the worst in a person. I think Harry recognized there that he himself wasn't a perfect guy, that he had a dark side, and decided for his own integrity, and a simpler life. It was an act of greatness."

"When I disbanded Evans and cornered him. I thought I could... I had time to act before the others interfered, but I couldn't even organize the words in my mind." Santana said with sadness.

"You're not a killer," Neville assured her.

"Then my fate is to die."

"If so, it will be an honour to die by your side, Lopez."

"This is very beautiful, but I don't want to die. Not today and not anytime soon." Quinn cut off the conversation and the group silenced.

Santana began to gesture with her hands as if she had shaped a sphere. She knew she shouldn't try because of the even greater physical strain it would cause. What the hell? Why not?

"Lumus!"

A sphere of white light appeared in Santana's hands. The luminosity revealed more details of the river channels. The blackened walls, the perfect fit of the stone blocks, the sand and dirt on the floor, the result of the sediment from the sewage that had once been there. There were also two or three cockroaches circling. There would probably be more cockroaches and more insects. As long as they didn't find scorpions and other venomous creatures, it would be okay. Santana got up quickly. Letting Quinn continue to help the professor. The girl placed Neville's arm on her shoulders. She wrapped her other arm around the teacher's waist and prepared to walk behind her friend.

"Let's go faster. This tires as hell!" Santana walked with her arm outstretched and palm up, holding up the sphere of light.

Santana found a fork ahead. She was in doubt. She looked at the floor, and it seemed to climb on the left side and descend on the right side. Santana took the right way, wishing Simons map had more details. If they went astray, they would die in the midst of the darkness, completely forgotten.

"Are you sure it's this way?" Quinn asked, doing her best to accompany her best friend.

"No."

"What if it's the other way?"

"Then we are screwed."

Santana continued to pace. Her breath began to wheeze, as if she had run hard. She felt her wounds burning and the light she conjured began to flicker. She tried to resist a little more. The hallway turned to the right. At the end of the stretch, there was another bifurcation. This time, the choice was between a steep descent or keep moving forward. Santana couldn't stand it and ended the light, falling to her knees.

"Lumus!" Quinn wrangled again with the wand. "Are you okay?" Her friend asked.

"Now it's me who needs five minutes."

"Where are we going?" Quinn asked more of herself than the other two.

"Down," Neville replied.

"Are you sure?"

"Didn't you pay attention, Fabray?"

There was silence. There was a soft noise of water.

"You have a good ear," Quinn commented.

"It wasn't the sound, it was the smell of moisture. And didn't you notice that it got a lot colder here?"

"Let's go down then."

"Five minutes!" Santana asked again to catch her breath.

"You shouldn't have conjured without a wand," Neville chided.

"That's what they all say," Santana snapped. "Quinn, can you boost the light power?"

"Lumus maxima!" Quinn conjured at the bifurcation door, triggering a stronger, temporary flash. "It doesn't look like the water is far away. We can go down if we go with caution."

"Okay, the way is yours, Fabray." Santana got up and took Quinn's place to help the teacher.

"Lumus maxima!" Quinn conjured from time to time as they advanced a few feet.

Quinn put her hands on the ceiling so she wouldn't slip on the sandstone. The biggest difficulty with Santana and Neville was that they were both terribly worn out and didn't have the same speed as Quinn. The steep stretch helped nothing.

"Lumus maxima!" Quinn conjured and could see the floor of a blackened water.

The trio stopped in an uncomfortable place where the slightest hesitation would slide them into the water. Quinn looked at her companions and sighed. If anyone had to get wet it would be her.

"What was that spell to breathe underwater?"

"Bubblehead," Neville replied. "It's the simplest and most feasible in this situation because it's enough to conjure. There are better ones, but they depend on portions or transfiguration."

"Bubblehead then." Quinn sighed. "I'm not going to risk an untrained transfiguration here and now."

"Move with the tip of the wand around your nose and cast 'expirusbubble'."

"How will I know it worked out?"

"If you can't breathe underwater, it's because it went wrong."

"Great!" Quinn quipped.

She pointed the tip of her wand at her face and conjured it. Quinn decided to enter at once in the extremely cold water and disappeared, leaving the professor and her friend in the full pitch. Santana wasn't afraid of the dark, but she felt terrible discomfort with it. The situation only made things worse. Santana heard a muffled noise and the sound of the water moving.

"Quinn?" Santana asked. No answer.

"Take it easy." Neville leaned more firmly on Santana in order to make her understand that he was there with her, that they were both in the same boat and that he wouldn't abandon her.

They waited. Santana's lips began to tremble with tension and anticipation. They heard the water move and a point of light approaching.

"Quinn?" Santana asked again.

"I'm here!" It was general relief to have her back. Quinn walked to her companions. She was trembling. "I found the passage to the lake, I don't have much notion, but I think it is about ten meters below the water level. I had to destroy a stone grate. Must be an important resource for the safety of the castle... well... patience. Are you ready?"

"Let's get out of here."

Quinn conjured the spell again, and the three of them plunged into the icy water. The descent was slower because they were in a group. The spell to breathe underwater was working perfectly, but the situation was still very uncomfortable. They were submerged in a narrow corridor in the icy water and wore all their clothes. The fabric was a mess, but there was no other way. One hour they would have to get out of the water. Quinn was holding Santana's hand, which in turn held Neville's hand.

They passed the opening destroyed by Quinn and they was into the lake. It was possible to see the sparse light of the moon on the surface of the lake, softening the pitch. They emerged and realized that they were close to the boat house of the castle and that there was movement in the place. Neville signaled to Quinn to re-cast the spell on all three. They plunged again, this time to reach a margin farther from the castle and its occupants. It was a very risky mission. If they stayed too high, they could be seen. If they dive deeper, they could upset the Sirens. The worst thing is they couldn't even see for sure where they were going. They swam for about 10 minutes with extreme difficulty. Until they reach a margin. They climbed into it. They came out of the water and ran into the forest. They were exhausted, dying of cold, wounded. Santana looked up at the illuminated castle on the bank and gave a small cynical giggle.

"What?" Quinn rubbed herself to get some warmth.

"It was more or less here that Lily and I had our first date. Only to be later spoiled by Hudson, you and the other Death Eaters wannabes."

"I remember... sorry about that."

"You still owe me a lot."

"Kids... we still owe..." Neville was struggling to speak. "Get out of here..."

"Where are we going? Is it possible to apparate from here?" Santana asked.

"Yes," Neville replied. He got up with difficulty and went to Quinn. "Your wand, please."

As soon as Quinn handed her the wand, Neville held the students and apparated. They disappeared at Hogsmeade, at the back of the Ollivanders wand store branch. The teacher collapsed. Neville was completely exhausted. Santana wasn't much better. Apparating made her even weaker. Quinn had to take the risk. She walked to the back door of the store and knocked. As they were slow to answer, she unlocked the door and entered the shop. She was surprised by Henry Ollivander.

"Fabray?" The man lowered his wand. "What are you doing here?"

"Professor Longbottom and Santana are out there. They are injured. You need to help us!"

...

The light of day began to dawn. A car still lighted went by. Minutes later, another. But the group was too exhausted to react. An old gentleman passed in all dressed in warm running clothes, proper sneakers, a cap on his head. He was going to cross the track and run on the grass in front of him. He looked to the side and saw the group of teenagers and terrible condition. He was in doubt. What if they were malicious? On the other hand, crime wasn't recurring news in a city like that. He approached cautiously.

"What happened to you?" He asked no one in particular.

Lily opened her weary green eyes.

"We were robbed and we had an accident, sir. We need a hospital, but we don't find anyone to ask for help... " She said without moving.

"Holy mother of God!" The old man came closer. "Where are your parents?"

"London!" Lily continued the intermediation.

The man shuddered. He took the cell phone and frowned when the signal went awry. He moved away from the group, and by a "coincidence," the signal improved. He called the emergency department. Within five minutes, a police car and two ambulances approached the scene. It soon gave testimony to the police while the paramedics evaluated the group. They didn't need many tests to understand that Lysander was the most serious case. The young man was pale, his leg badly damaged, suffering from hypothermia. The case was surgical. They treated Lysander, put him on the stretcher with the aid of oxygen and a blanket to begin to ease the picture of hypothermia. They put him in the ambulance.

The other pair of paramedics continued to evaluate the group. Melissa, Bail, Finn and Hugo received a green card because they were considered simpler cases. Lily, Rachel and Marley won a yellow card, indicating that the cases needed a little more care. The four girls were in the second ambulance while the three boys were taken to the police car. Perth had two hospitals: private and public, more modest. The only option they had was the public hospital.

Finn, Hugo, and Bail got into the car and drove through the city to the police, who followed the second ambulance.

"So, you were assaulted and suffered an accident?" An agent asked. "In what order?"

"Assault and accident," Bail replied before Finn could open his mouth. We were camping. Some guys took everything, they beat us too. And we crashed while trying to get to a city."

"How long have you been walking?"

"Two days." Bail hurried to answer.

"Can you describe the assailants?"

"One of them was a little tall, about six feet, blond hair, very white, maybe his age, and his mouth was kind of big. The other was a black man, older, and had a horrible scar on his face." Bail described Samuel Evans and Zabini blatantly. "They were armed and had us leak with one hand in the front and one in the back."

The policeman wrote down everything, still uncertain whether or not he believed the boys. He tended to believe, because of the quick answers in detail. In addition, the condition of the group of adolescents corroborated.

"Why was one of the girls practically naked?"

"She's my girlfriend," Finn snapped.

"They were fucking when everything happened." Bail continued to be pragmatic as Finn blushed violently, a detail that did not go unnoticed by the police officer. Even embarrassing to Finn, the information only helped them in building the story.

"Ok, let's get to the hospital. Don't forget we're going to want everyone's names to contact your parents. "

Bail nodded and smiled a little. He took the wand out of Finn's hands and pointed at the cops. The two agents were obliterated in a minute. The three boys left the car, leaving the two officers without understanding what they were doing at the hospital door. The boys entered the reception and only Bail had some familiarity with the proceedings, for his mother was a nurse muggle. He went to the reception desk and asked his colleagues. He also said that they themselves needed care. They were taken to the emergency room and each was put into boxing. Lying on the stretcher was great. The atmosphere was with pleasant temperature and they were exhausted.

They saw Melissa arrive with a blanket around her shoulders. She was accompanied by a nurse, who installed her in a boxing room next to Finn. Only Bail, Marley, and Rachel had experiences with Muggle hospitals in that group. For everyone else, it all seemed strange. For that so many appliances, and there was the sound, hygiene, needles, blood collections. Everything seemed scary to them.

"Where are the girls? What happened to Lysander?"

"They were going to take out some exams and do such a... dummy-something thing," Melissa said uncertainly. "I don't know what this is."

"It's how muggles can see our bones," Bail explained. "Don't worry they'll be fine."

The attending doctors arrived to examine the new patients. All had mild hypothermia and dehydration. They would have to stay in the ward until the temperature returned to normal. Meanwhile, they were cleaned and treated. Received serum in the vein for rehydration and to receive analgesics. Bail relaxed and fell asleep. When they saw the friend's tranquility, the others relaxed on their respective stretchers and took a nap.

Rachel, Lily, and Marley were sent to the examination rooms sitting in wheelchairs. They were all wrapped in blankets, as they also presented with hypothermia and dehydration. Lily needed to check her shoulder, Marley's ankle, and the doctors suspected that Rachel might have broken one or two ribs. A nurse handed Rachel a clean hospital gown.

"We're going to take you to an infirmary with a toilet, where you can wash after the procedures. Maybe you'll need it."

Rachel received the clean hospital clothes and thanked the nurse for the little dignity.

"They asked if you would have someone to call?"

"My mother is in New York!" Rachel whimpered.

"Teresa Gilmore," Lily replied. "I don't know her phone, but Mrs. Gilmore is a professor at Dudee University. Just say Lilian Potter II is here, she will come and take responsibility for everyone."

"Okay?" The nurse became suspicious and left the waiting room momentarily.

"I could have given my mother's number," Marley complained.

"Well, I guarantee you'll want to leave your mother away from all of this." Lily didn't face Marley. "It's best to leave all of our Muggle families out for their good."

"I didn't know you had any," Rachel questioned.

"Just a great-aunt and my father's cousin. They are good friends, but it is not that I would look for them in an emergency."

"The only muggle part not involved in this crisis is my father's." Rachel said softly from exhaustion.

"Still, your mother would go crazy if she knew you were in a hospital and we had no news of Santana." Lily argued, making Rachel agree.

"You're right... could my sister get out of Hogwarts?"

"I feel so," Lily replied with a small smile.

"As?"

"I just know."

"My sister would call you Jedi if she heard you."

"I know." Lily smiled.

Marley was the first to take the exam, followed by Lily and Rachel. Two hours passed between the completion of all the examinations, diagnoses and the accomplishment of the procedures. Rachel fractured two ribs on the right side and had to put a compression to help. Marley partially ruptured the ankle ligament. No surgery would be necessary in her case, a non-athlete, but the foot was needed. Lily was referred to the surgery to place the fractured shoulder bone in place. Lysander's case was more serious. In addition to leg surgery, doctors needed to stop internal bleeding. From the surgical table, Lysander went straight to the ICU.

...

Santana woke up scared, as if she had had a nightmare. She looked at the environment and was slow to locate herself. She was in a minimal room, with a small window glass and sparse light. She was lying on a thin single mattress, which shouldn't be more than a foot high. There was someone on the same mattress. It was Quinn, who was sleeping with her. Someone slept in the small room, but in an armchair. It was Professor Neville Longbotton, who looked dead to the world. Santana and Quinn shared a single blanket. At least it was warmer and cozy than the prison. They also wore other clothing: a pair of sweatpants a number or two larger, plus a basic T-shirt. Quinn wore something similar.

The night before came all in Santana's mind. After running away from Hogwarts and apparating in Hogsmeade, Henry Ollivanders helped them. He gave clean, dry clothes to her and Quinn and treated Neville's wounds as best he could. They had the opportunity to clean themselves and were sent to a small secret room in the basement of the shop where the small wand repair shop was located. Henry said the death eaters changed names. Now they were called agents of the revolution. During the Hogwarts attack, several of them made it necessary for the Hogsmeade trade to be closed down so that people would gather in their homes. Henry knew that sooner or later, his house would be searched. So he confined the unexpected visitors to the secret room, built since the time of the first wizarding war. Whoever was in the workshop had no idea that there could be a secret room there. Whoever was inside the room, on the other hand, could see what was happening in the workshop through a translucent window.

Santana sat on the mattress and looked out the translucent window. There was no movement in the workshop. She heard footsteps and was apprehensive. She saw Henry coming down the stairs holding a paper parcel and a bucket. The ally opened the secret door and entered the parlour.

"Already awake?"

"I woke up now." Santana felt her throat bother. Signal that it would be cooled. It was nothing out of the script, considering everything that happened.

"I gave you apples, cookies, water, and other little things you might need. Try to keep Longbottom hydrated. I come back here as soon as I can. Oh, and if you need to go to the bathroom, you have that bucket. It's the best you can do for now. He's a full third because I've prepared a portion to keep out the smell."

"Okay." Santana set the bucket in the corner of the room. "Mr. Ollivander, are we already being sought?"

"They are scouring all the houses and asking lots of questions. But don't worry. No one can find you here. You just need to have patience to leave when there's a gap. "

Santana had no choice but to trust Henry. Quinn woke up, and she grunted.

"Oh Merlin," the slytherin mumbled when she became aware of how sore her body was.

"Are you hungry? We have cookies and apples." Santana checked the package.

"I want a bathroom."

"I'm afraid it won't be possible at this time. But there's the bucket with a lid in the corner. It has a portion in it to not smell."

"You are kidding?"

"From what I know, we can't leave now. We can't even walk around the house."

Quinn ran a hand through her hair. Shivering from her body, she could chill. At least, the secret room had a nicer temperature than the Hogwarts dungeons. Quinn, reluctantly, made her needs in the bucket, counting on the collaboration of Santana in staying all the time on her back. She was happy that Ollivander thought about putting some toilet paper, as well as a card game.

Santana and Quinn decided to eat cookies. They divided the portion into three, reserving that Neville would be entitled to and feeding on the rest. They drank some water and were apprehensive when they heard footsteps from more than one person descending into the basement. They saw through the translucent window that Henry was accompanied by two others, one of whom was just Aramis Black. Quinn's heart pounded. The desire she had was to get out of there and fight with that man. Instead, she squeezed Santana's hand. The men checked the workshop, were rude, knocked over some furniture, and finally became convinced that there was no one else there.

Quinn and Santana could breathe.

"Do you think they'll be back?" Santana whispered. She could not be heard from the workshop because the room was protected. Still, he did not risk it.

"Maybe not today." Quinn noticed the deck. "Are you up for?"

Santana wasn't willing to play cards, but she had nothing better to do.

...

"Hey! Wake up!"

Lily opened her eyes and frowned when she saw the face of the nurse who was snapping her fingers in front of her face. She was scared. The last thing she remembered was getting into the surgery room and letting the nurse give her an injection. Then, she slept and had the weirdest dream. She dreamed she was in peace on a picnic with Santana. Suddenly she became pregnant, the sky turned red and it began to rain, she saw her and her friends falling off a bridge and disappearing one by one. She began to scream. Now that she was awake again, she realized two things: the first was that she was immobilized; The second was that she had a crazy urge to urinate.

"What happened?"

"You're in the recovery room and it's time to get you to the infirmary, Miss Potter. Your mother is waiting for you."

"My mother?" Lily was surprised. "But I asked to call Teresa Gilmore. She lives in Dundee."

"Your mother is a redheaded woman in her 40s, right?"

"Yes."

"You look a lot like her."

Lily was suspicious.

"Where are the others?"

"You tell your friends?"

"Yes."

"As far as I know, one of your friends still in surgery, but the others are fine. Everyone is still here, although some have already been discharged."

"OK..."

"Are you ok? Can I take you to the infirmary? "

Lily nodded. The nurse fixed the serum, putting the sack on top of Lily and began to push the stretcher. The young woman looked at the ceiling and had the same uncomfortable view that only those who were in the same situation know very well. The lights following her in speed, she fastened to a bed that was pushed. Parts of faces sometimes invaded the field of vision, the voices, the brightness, all very white. All so nauseous. The nurse opened the infirmary door and pushed the stretcher in. The place had pale blue walls and seating for four beds, separated by curtains.

"Lily!" The girl recognized her mother's voice. When Lily looked away, she couldn't hold her breath and vomited.

"Oh, you're one of those with a fragile stomach." The nurse wasn't surprised or angry. "Don't worry. It happens all the time." She looked at Ginny. "Can you help me put her to bed?"

The redheaded woman nodded. Lily also tried to help as best she could. She was embarrassed for a moment when she realized that she was naked, covered only by sheets. She didn't remember taking off her clothes. Lily watched the nurse, who seemed oblivious to the situation, acting professionally as she replaced the serum on the tripod.

"When the serum is running out, ring the bell. We should come here before that, but in any case, let me know." The nurse was leaving, but she turned away. "I was already forgetting, we're going to bring your clothes and a hospital gown shortly."

"Thank you." Ginny smiled graciously. She waited for the nurse to leave to turn to the daughter with the urgent expression. "When Gilmore warned us, I didn't hold back and came here anyway. Luna is here with Lysander and your father is with the others. Gilmore is arranging a van for us to go to Moors as soon as possible. We won't have much time."

"Oh, Mother, is really you?" Tears welled in the corner of Lily's eyes.

"Of course, spark." Ginny hugged her daughter, calling her by the childhood nickname to leave no doubt that it was really her. "I hate that you went through all this."

"It was horrible."

"I know." Ginny took a bunch of her daughter's hair from her face. "Is there anything I can do for you now?"

"Actually, there is one. I'm desperate to pee."

Ginny smiled and cried at the same time.

…

(one day earlier)

"I'm showing you this, but it's in off, Mrs. Potter."

Gilbert Potgold showed the list of possible new hires for Tutshill Tornados. Ginny smiled, thanking the source's trust for her as a journalist. The restructuring of the Tornadoes was an important agenda in the Daily Prophet's sports editor, so much so that Ginny didn't allow her two other senior reporters, much less the trainee to do so. It was also a delicate matter, as the sale of the team was forced after the arrest of the owners and most of the administrative leadership. Matter couldn't focus on problems, such as the scandal of using hybrid technology to win matches at the local stadium.

Ginny thanked the trust and read the list of potential hires. It was a detailed document with information about each athlete, pros and cons, probable salary, plus the basic data like age, sex, nationality, institution that studied and home. Educational information was very important to teams and influenced hiring. There were times, for example, that avoided or gave preference to athletes from a particular home. This varied greatly with the ideology of work and with the traditions of each team.

"Quinn Fabray?" Ginny asked Potgold. This was a speculation more or less known, but Ginny, as a good journalist, wanted to hear the explanation directly from the person who could make it possible.

"She's one of the few promising players to leave Hogwarts next year. With all pardon, Mrs. Potter, but I think she's better than your niece, Rose Granger-Weasley. There is, of course, the question of being a Fabray, but I think this can be used in our favour."

"Yes, I trained Fabray once. She is great. Very disciplined tactically, but she knows how to take risks and improvise. It's a good choice." Ginny analyzed, looking at the list also of Mike Chang and the Goyle twins.

"I'd hire Santana Lopez too," Potgold confided.

"Really?" Ginny checked the list again. "I didn't find her card."

"It isn't here. It's just my guess. Lopez is the best chaser revealed at Hogwarts since you."

"No... she's much better."

"With all respect, I also think so."

"So? Why not her name isn't here?"

"Everyone knows she's great, but no one will want to hire her because of the prophecy. No one wants to risk having the name associated with a likely new dark lady."

"With all due respect, Potgold, do you honestly think I would let my daughter date Santana Lopez if she were really a lady of darkness?" Ginny spoke in that tone because the relationship between Lily and Santana was public, thanks to the gossip column of Rita Skeeter . "My family didn't risk their necks fighting you-know-who to allow the next generation to change sides. My brother died in that war, I saw friends being killed in front of me. My children were raised by understanding the weight of the story and what we did."

"I understand and agree, Mrs. Potter. But these are strange times. There are moments that are very reminiscent of that time. "

Ginny nodded. She couldn't disagree with the businessman. Ever since Blaise Zabini and Samuel Evans returned, their world began to live in a state of permanent tension. As much as Hermione and Harry were making many political pacts and preventative actions, the spirits kept rattling. The popularization of prophecy had aided in nothing and the errors of judgment were constant. Santana, from a mere Hogwarts pupil with a talent for Quidditch, was transformed overnight into a non-grata persona thanks to an unprecedented propaganda campaign.

Ginny thanked the interview and was preparing to leave for the Daily Prophet's newsroom. She walked around, checking the notes for the teleportation that was near the Quidditch stadium that connected Tutshill to London. That was when she felt the bag vibrate.

"Accio Galleon." The still warm coin came to her hand. Ginny's eyes widened when she saw the code.

At first she panicked. She thought of her children and her husband. Ginny knew exactly what needed to be done, yet the mother's side came to mind first, and her will was to join James, Albus and Lily, to protect them, even if all three were legally adult.

"Easy, Ginny!" She said to herself.

She saw two men approaching. She wasn't sure of their intentions, so Ginny didn't risk it. She set out on the outskirts of Devon, near her parents' house, on the edge of the barrier. She entered the grounds and ran to the Weasley's modest home. In the distance, she could see Arthur working at the harvest. Signal that Molly should be in the house preparing dinner.

"Dad!" Ginny shouted.

"Ginny, my dear!" Arthur smiled. "What a surprise."

"Dad, for the can!" Ginny kept running toward the house.

"What?"

"For the can, dad. We need to leave! "

Ginny stormed into the house and, as expected, saw Molly in the kitchen setting dinner on the table.

"Daughter..."

"Mom, we don't have time." Ginny held Molly by the arm and forced her to accompany her.

"Ginny?"

"It's happening again, mom."

Ginny and Molly met Arthur outside the house. There were no signs of an attack yet, but Ginny wasn't willing to wait to see what could happen. She ran with her parents to the can, which was nothing more than the teleportation mechanism. They jumped to York. There was a tiny witch community set up on the outskirts of York, but she wasn't the one Ginny was looking for. In fact, she would avoid it, even though she knew that the center of the conflict would be established in London and perhaps in Hogwarts.

"Where are we going?" Arthur said still stunned. He complained that he was no older for such a start.

"Harry left everything organized if it happened," Ginny explained hurriedly along one of the city's avenues.

"What happened, Ginny?" Arthur asked.

"The war began, daddy. That was what happened. And we need to retreat."

Ginny paused for a moment. She needed to remember. She took the wallet in her purse, where she had both real documentation and a British citizen, as well as false documentation, a credit card, and a few pounds. She went into a car rental shop. She smiled at the attendant. She did all the bureaucratic procedures and got a vehicle. Ginny put her parents inside and started driving.

"Where are we going?" Molly asked.

"To a farm in Moors. It's the meeting point."

"I didn't know you know how to drive a car!" Arthur said in fascination. "Why don't we change it to fly?"

"We would spend more time enchanting the car than on the road."

"Just apparate."

"We could, but I don't know where the exact location is. Besides, I rented this car for a month."

"So the war has started again?" Molly said in a low, husky, thoughtful voice. "I thought I would die in times of peace."

"When you leave, it will be in times of peace. I promise you."

"I have no more age and energy for another battle. Not even your father."

"That's why we're going to take refuge in a place without wizards, secret and safe. Let's gather resistance, organize things to help the new generation."

"You say you help Lily's girlfriend."

"That too."

Lily switched on the radio and tuned in to a jazzy radio, because it was the music style pleasing to her parents. It was only an hour from York to Moors, and the road was quiet, even though it was already dark. Lily stopped driving and got in the car at least twice to check the map for the farm. After just over an hour of driving, she found the farm that was relatively close to the town of Scarburough, on the east coast of England. The thirst was as if it were a format of a residential street with a central mansion and eight smaller houses along the track to the headquarters. Behind the house were still the grain storage barns. Lily parked the car in front of the main house. She was distressed to realize that she was the first to arrive.

Half an hour later, Bill and Fleur arrived. At shorter intervals, the rest of the family and the representatives of the Dumbledore's Army who had the coins began to arrive. Ginny took the first big weight in her heart when James arrived in the middle of the night. Albus and Scorpius showed up late in the morning, telling horrible news about the attack at the Auror Training Center. Harry and Hermione arrived together early in the morning. They kissed their spouses and hugged their children. They told of the difficulty of escaping from London, that all the neighborhoods and wizard villages were unfeasible. Prisoners were released in Azkaban, but everything was still too cool to do a survey.

What everyone quickly realized was that no one from Hogwarts could make it.

Harry began to organize a task force to go to Hogwarts. By midmorning the next day, news came that Hermione Granger and Harry Potter were the minds behind the coup aimed at giving them full powers, and that their protégé, Santana Lopez, tried and failed to take Hogwarts, thanks the resistance led by Samuel Evans. They learned that Santana Lopez would be tried (and sentenced) in Hogsmeade along with the accomplice, the director Neville Longbottom. They also knew of the expression that would lead the student allies from the coup to trial in London.

The plans changed in Harry's mind. He would rather try to save the Hogwarts students going to London, possibly Lily. Thinking about collective good, he sentenced Santana and Neville to self-employment. By midmorning the next day, as the group was preparing to go to London, Hermione blocked the entire operation by checking an electronic message from Teresa Gilmore. She said she had received a call from the hospital in Perth and that Lysander Scamander was in serious condition.

Teresa Gilmore was a professor of political science at Dundee University and also a consultant to King William. She was one of the few out-of-government people to meet the wizarding world and the Ministry of Magic, as well as being a close friend of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. Teresa, the granddaughter of World War II concentration camp survivors, knew of the great menace of the supremacists and promised to help her friends in whatever way she could.

With Teresa's message, Harry postponed his plans. He set out to go to the hospital where Lily, Hugo, and the others were. Ginny, anxious to get her daughter, went along, just like Luna.

...

"You're doing very well, Lilian." The doctor assessed the patient's file, before checking for pressure and appearance. I'll leave the prescription with the nurse. As soon as you complete the medication, you can prepare to leave.

"Thank you, Doctor." Ginny nodded and took the doctor's arm. The man found the contact strange and was frightened when he noticed that the patient's mother was pointing a piece of wood at him. "Obliviate."

The next minute, the doctor left the infirmary without knowing what he was doing there. Ginny took the whey from her daughter's arm and helped her dress in the filthy clothes Lily had come to the hospital. The adolescent had her right shoulder completely immobilized and so she should stay for two weeks until she could use only the type and start physical therapy. At least that way it would be in the recovery of Muggles. Lily and Ginny went out into the hallway oblivious to the nurses on the floor. Harry and Luna were also in charge of doing the service wherever they went.

Lily and Ginny reached the parking lot, where they met the others. Lily smiled as she reviewed all the friends on the journey. Marley's foot was immobilized, Rachel was in her pink nurse uniform and had a compress on her ribs. The others had bandages and an air of tiredness. The teenager received a brief hug from her father and received a stroke of her hair.

"You did it." Harry smiled weakly. "I'm proud."

"Not everyone has succeeded. Santana... "

"Don't worry about her now, okay? We need to get you... all of you to safety."

...

Neville was better. The sleep of 12 hours served to recover some of the energy. As soon as the teacher woke up, he asked for water and received the piece of cookies the girls saved to him. He wasn't yet in a position to face a journey, but it was possible that within a day or two he could recover his strength better enough to continue his escape. Santana and Quinn, meanwhile, were impatient to be trapped in a 2x3-meter room. It became impossible even to ignore the other. Henry Ollivander came downstairs at night. He opened the door and smiled at his allies.

"There was a breach. I took the liberty of preparing a backpack for you with some food, water, sleeping bags, some galleons and a few pounds. I can give you new wands. But we need to do everything fast, in the dim."

"Got it, Henry, thank you. Could you give me a pen?" Neville asked.

The wand specialist nodded and picked up one that was right there in the basement.

"I'll leave you at ease. But decide quickly what to do."

Santana and Quinn were excited to finally get out of there. They preferred to risk their luck than to be trapped in that cubicle one more day, making necessities in a bucket. But what about the teacher? As much as Neville was a little more flushed, it was unlikely he could face a journey to Moors. The worst thing is that Santana didn't even know exactly where in the area. All she had was what her girlfriend said in a moment of anguish.

"Professor, if you're not..." Santana pondered.

"Shut up and listen to me." He wrote on a piece of toilet paper and handed it to Santana. "You need to get to this place at any cost."

"We?"

"Don't play fool, Lopez. You were very noble in bringing a dead weight here, and I thank you, but now what you need to do is get to a safe place and take care of yourself. You are the chosen one. See if you put that idea in your head and accept your fate once and for all." He held Quinn by the shoulder. "Fabray, I know you tend to be extremely pragmatic, but you know very well which side deserves your loyalty and your efforts."

"Yes sir."

"Keep Lopez on goal and everything will work out."

"Yes sir."

Henry came over and waved for the girls to follow him. They went upstairs and Henry asked Santana to follow him to the wandhouse.

"The biggest stock is in the diagonal alley, but I keep some wands here that can serve you very well. What I need you to do is concentrate, extend your arm with your hand up. Close your eyes and try to open yourself."

Santana nodded and did exactly what Henry had recommended. Many boxes began to shake in a way that left both Quinn and Henry even a little scared. A box jumped off the shelf and flew straight into Santana's hand. She opened her eyes and checked the box. The moment he took the wand, the object shone.

"Can I?" Henry asked and Santana handed him the wand. "I didn't expect that. Ebony..."

"My previous wand was ebony..." Santana commented.

"Yes, I think that is the wood that marries your personality, but the inside of it is tap. My grandfather and I did some experiments of making nuclei with alternative magical animals. Some experiences were successful and others a disaster, because we couldn't deal with it. The griffin core was one of them. It's too powerful, difficult and ingenious. We couldn't deal with this kind of wand but looks like you can control it just fine. I'm impressed, really! We made only three wands with this core: all with different woods. But, If you feel insecure, there are other dragon core ebony wands that can serve you."

"No. This wand chose me. I'll stay with her... how much do I owe you?"

Henry smiled and shook his head.

"This is yours. This could only be yours. I won't charge you."

"Thanks."

"Now you need to get out of here."

First, Henry opened the back door of the store and checked the drive. The central street had only the movement of so-called agents. The alleys were empty. Henry signaled to Quinn and Santana. They left the establishment and ran down the mountain. At the first opportunity, they apparated.

…

They disappeared into a dark field where they could see the glow of the lights of a small town. Quinn was confused, because Santana was the one who thought of the referrals.

"What place is this?"

"Dufftown." Santana.

"Dufftown? Are you crazy?" Quinn raged.

Dufftown was a town not far from Hogwarts and Hogsmeade. Being a village with a little more than 1,500 inhabitants, it had a certain reputation of distrust of visitors. Who in their right mind would tour in that place? Except for visits to the whiskey distilleries, there was nothing left to see in the village.

"It's the only place I know in the vicinity. I was afraid of fucking shit if I went further, okay?" Santana said, bringing her hand up to her stomach. She wasn't well and the flu had caught on.

Apparating was the least favourite transport of wizards when used between great distances. It was more comfortable to use the network of flu or adapted transports of Muggles. Apparating required concentration, clarity of thought to know where one was going, and physical integrity. Not infrequently, wizards, even the most experienced, would get really nauseated for hours after breaking up large distances or consecutively.

"I've come to this city a few times. My father used to come here to buy whiskey. It was said that one of the few things a muggle can do better than a witch is to distill. Because the muggle has no choice but to let everything ferment naturally. A wizard speeds up the process with magic and it's not the same," Quinn explained.

"I wanted to have a Google Maps here now." Santana wasn't interested in her friends' memories. Her focus was elsewhere.

"One what?"

"Online cartographic service... well, we can follow the highway until we reach a bigger city. From there we can try to catch a noitibus."

"Bad idea. Someone can recognize us. We should avoid magical transports."

"A muggle bus then."

They apparated to the nearest village and entered the main street. It wasn't yet 10 pm and the streets were already deserted. Nothing more typical of small town. They walked along the avenue that seemed to be the main one of the village due to the presence of commerce, and they found an inn with the doors open. Santana decided to take a chance and went inside.

"Good evening, sir." Santana talked to the clerk, who was distracted watching a football game.

"We have no vacancies." The man looked away from the screen to watch the two teenagers who looked like backpackers: the type he hated most.

"Really?" Santana pretended to be outraged.

"There's a group here to tour the distilleries. Sorry, babe."

"Oh shit, we needed a place to stay overnight. We'll take the trail... "

"Are you one of those freaks who make Ben Macdui's trail pretending to be a mountaineer and smoking marijuana when he gets to the summit?" The clerk smiled, completing the sentence with his own thought, which was exactly what Santana wanted. "We attend to some of you at times. But no... no vacancy."

"Damn it. Where can we find a place? "

"It depends. Are you by car? "

"Yes," Santana lied.

"You can take 920 and go to Huntly. It is not a very large retreat, only 22km, and there are more inns, including a unit of this network."

"Thanks."

The two girls left the inn and had their next destination. Quinn estimated a four-hour walk to the next town following the freeway. They could reduce the time if they apparated a few times along the way. The problem was that they were both sick and that could be more of a hindrance than helping them get to the other city. They continued walking and agreed that they would apparate when they saw the other city on the horizon. They made the most of the journey in silence. Quinn only thought of getting to that secret base as soon as possible, while Santana was worried about a list of people. Was Lily and Rachel all right? Did they manage to escape? And what happened to her father? How did the death eaters get a tissue sample from his body?

"Water?" Santana offered the canteen to her friend.

"A sip." Quinn took a sip and returned the canteen.

"It's not like we're in a desert or something." Santana put the canteen in her backpack.

"If we continue at this slow pace, we'll reach Huntly in six hours."

"I'm not walking slowly. You're the one running!" In fact, Santana was slower. For her defense, the shoe Henry gave to her was hurting her heel. Even the magical adjustment she made didn't help that much. "We can take a ride, if you're so distressed."

"How many cars did you see pass by?" Quinn croaked. Santana counted three cars, which was nothing at all. "I'm not in the mood to ask for a ride."

"We can do it. We can knock the driver out and then erase his memory. Easy. The car would be ours."

"Do you know how to drive?"

"No." Santana was seriously thinking about walking alone. "It shouldn't be difficult."

"Subject closed," Quinn grunted.

"Can I ask why you're so angry? As far as I know, shouldn't I be the one who should be stuck? Think about it: they used a guy to pretend it was my dad, my sister and my girlfriend ran away and I have no idea where and how they are. Oh, and did I tell you that Rachel and Finn had sex?"

Quinn slowed and turned to Santana.

"Rachel and the idiot? I can't say I'm surprised she picked him."

"I would rather if she had chosen Weasley's dick. At least it was all family, you know?"

"This is sick."

"Why? Because my sister had dated my girlfriend's cousin? Sick is Rachel having sex with Finn Hudson. With the homophobic idiot who tried to kill me once."

"Even after all this time, you couldn't get over it?!"

"Overcoming is different from forgiving, which is different from forgetting. I overcame Finn being homophobic, childish and jealous. Not to say that I forgave him for harming me and Lily just because he couldn't get over what he lost. Finn is the kind of guy who can lose his mind about the stupidest things and I'm very afraid of those things."

"And what about me? Did you overcome or forgive what I did?"

"I overcame, for sure, but I still don't know if I forgave you. I also learned something fundamental."

"What did you learn?"

"That even though you are a good person, you are still unable to put yourself in front of a bullet. Not even to save the person you love the most. I learned to expect just that from you, Fabray."

"Would you put yourself in front a bullet."

"Of course, I would. For the people I truly love, I can do it easily."

Santana passed Quinn, who was momentarily still, annoyed by her friend's sincerity. What's worse is that she knew Santana was right.

"Quinn?" Santana turned to her slow-paced friend.

"What?"

"Can we sometimes apparate to Huntly?"

"Why did you change your mind?"

Santana briefly left the side of the road. She summoned Lumus and showed his friend the damage to the heel, her skin flayed by the friction of the shoe. Quinn imagined the pain that Santana was feeling: one more among so many physical and emotional that were accumulating from Hogwarts. She hugged her friend, visualized the road and apparated and disappeared twice in a row until they reached the edge of Huntly. It was past midnight and the girls were exhausted. Santana took off her shoes and walked only with her socks down the curb. They saw a bus stop that had a bank and minimal protection. It was better than nothing. They sat there and waited. Quinn hugged Santana, who laid her head on her best friend's shoulder.

"Get some sleep. The first round is mine." Quinn might not take a bullet for anyone, but she was willing to protect her best friend.

...

It was six o'clock in the morning when the first bus showed up. It was a small, regional vehicle, which was circulating between Huntly and the neighboring town, Strastisla. The driver circulated in one city, left for the other, took some passengers, and returned to the first. There were two other regional lines with the same type of transport. But the town of Huntly itself was too small to have internal circulation. The locals walked and pedalled more than they used cars. Santana got up suddenly and asked the bus to stop.

"Sir! Does this bus pass through the city bus station?"

"Want to go where?"

"Glasgow?"

"Are you asking me?"

"No, we're on our way to Glasgow."

The driver shook his head and thought what a crap it was to be a teenager. Especially one that clearly didn't belong to that place when judging by the strong London accent. He bet the girls could be backpackers or they were running away from the house in clothes that looked like pajamas.

"I'm not going to charge you to drive you less than a mile from here. Go up."

Santana and Quinn thanked the kindness. Who said that chivalry was dead? From the window they saw a small but cozy town with the style of buildings reminiscent of little castles, not to mention clean. The trip by bus to the bus station lasted a measly three minutes. Better that way. Santana and Quinn jumped where the driver indicated and found nothing but a store with a two window and a parked bus.

The briefing said that the hours of operation were from eight in the morning, a sign that would have just under two hours of waiting. Santana slipped on the shoe that hurt her and sat down on another bench to wait. She missed New York and London. Transportation in the metropolis was much better. she could get a taxi, a bus, a subway, that is, what is more practical at the moment. London had, including the noitibus, that it looked for wizards by the capital wherever they were. New York had something similar, but with cab services for wizards. Santana, I'd like to take the risk. It would be nice if she waved her wand off the curb and a noitibus even appeared in that tiny town. And even if she had, how could she use the service being a wanted person for the wizarding world?

Santana quietly conjured the spell for the canteen to refill and ate an apple that was in the backpack. They wanted to go to the bathroom and decided to risk the one in the supermarket that had just opened the doors straight away. Quinn had rarely entered places like that. Muggles had products for everything and this frightened and fascinated her. How could one not get lost amidst so many packages? Santana, however, pulled her directly into the bathroom. The place was reasonably clean, considering that the cleaners had not yet passed by. They weren't picky. They did the need and then looked in the mirror to wash their faces and rinse their mouths. They arranged their hair to be minimally presentable.

"I need an urgent shower." Santana reproved her own scent and passed some sheets of paper moistened under her arm and around her neck.

"Two. Patience."

The window opened. Santana checked the money she had and the line options. They found they didn't have enough money to pay two tickets to Glasgow, even on the cheapest line that lasted four hours, counting the time of two stops: Aberdeen, Perth and finally Glasgow. Quinn looked around and pulled out her wand.

"We have enough money," she said, pointing the wand at the saleswoman and showing her the one-pound note.

"You have enough money," the saleswoman repeated, as if she were off the air.

"You can issue two tickets to Glasgow."

"I can issue two tickets to Glasgow." Quinn waited for the girl to work on the computer to issue the tickets. "Here they are."

"Thank you." Quinn smiled, picked up the tickets, and then erased the saleswoman's memory. "Let's get out of here in half an hour." She smiled at a Santana in shock.

"Quinn... you couldn't use..."

"We just have to get out of here, San. Think about it."

"That was robbery!"

"This morality doesn't apply to our situation."

"Quinn, you don't know quite how their world works. At the end of the day, they will count the money and will find that it's missing two whole passages. It's this girl who will pay everything, deducting from her salary and everything."

"She must have money."

"She gets shit working at a ticket booth."

"Okay, but remember there are people who want to murder you in the public square. Sorry, San, but you can't be 100% ethical and moral in this situation. You can walk to the place where you're supposed to meet your girlfriend, but I'll spare you."

Santana was a little startled by Quinn's aggression. She looked at the girl at the counter, who was completely oblivious. The girl didn't even remember that she had sold tickets. As silly as it was, at one point Quinn was right: they had to get to the farm in Moors. Risking outdoors with sleeping bags and a bunch of wizards chasing them was not a friendly situation. She resigned herself and waited for the bus with Quinn.

...

The bus was stopped at the Glasgow bus station. People were picking up their luggage, usually handbags and backpacks, and they went down in a row.

"Quinn!" Santana shook the companion who was still asleep in the chair.

Quinn opened her eyes, moaning over the loss of the best sleep she'd had in the past few days. It was believing that buses were magical places, with sleeping pills scattered around the air conditioning system. They got the backpack and got off at the bus station, which wasn't that different from London. From the same place, it was possible to get off to the subway station, take a circular bus, wait for taxis or buy a ticket for a train trip. Neither Santana nor Quinn were willing to waste time. They researched that they could catch a train to Middlesbrough, the largest city near Moors.

"We don't have the money for that, Quinn," Santana mused.

"Will we start this argument again? We have a goal and you can't be sorry for the damage we're getting in someone's pocket when your head is at the top."

"Ok! Do it. I've got your back."

They took the tickets to Middlesbrough, but none of it made Santana more comfortable. It was two o'clock in the afternoon, the train would leave at six-thirty, and they had four hours to wind up in the Shopping Center that circled the terminal. Santana felt uneasy about circulating in the place when she was poorly dressed, limping, seized, with her hair unkempt. Quinn didn't have the same concern. She was much more curious to see so many different shop windows, shops that didn't exist in the world she lived in. They bought a sandwich at McDonald's, which Quinn thought was the biggest crap on Earth. She wasn't wrong at all. But McCrap was the most affordable one at the time, since the other stores offered slightly more expensive dishes. Santana took the opportunity to stop by the pharmacy. She Bought mertiolate, gauze and bandage. She spent the last few cents in an economical package with ten moist handkerchiefs and sugar-free gum.

"Masque," she ordered Quinn.

"That's disgusting. I don't know how muggles like to chew an eraser."

"It will improve the breath and the taste in the mouth, since we don't have money for toothbrushes. It's better than nothing. Just do not swallow."

"And those moist handkerchiefs?"

"This is bath."

Quinn hated the idea, but there she was with Santana inside the Shopping mall, taking a shower of moistened wipes inside a toilet box. Although not ideal, Santana was right: she felt better. Quinn wore the change of clothes Henry had provided and magically adjusted the size. She left the stall and watched three teenagers who seemed to be together by the way they interacted. They had stylish hair, wore brand-new clothes, wore make-up and looked at her out of the corner of their eye before laughing, as if they were secretly making fun of the strange figure waiting in the corner of the bathroom. Santana came out of the sanitary stall that was also with the change of clothes and hair stuck in a long ponytail. The chosen one signaled to leave. They looked at the clock. They had two more hours to hang around.

"There's a mall here in Glasgow, like Diagon Alley," Quinn said almost casually. "That's where the best owl shop in the whole of the UK is."

"I heard." Santana continued to walk through the muggle mall. The flu only got worse and her body was getting heavy, the coryza bothered her, and her head was starting to sound like a drum.

"Could it be that if we showed up there..."

"To see if our posters look up already been printed?" Santana stopped in front of a tattoo shop of no particular interest.

Quinn, on the other hand, looked at the suggestion of drawings in the window and then a man sitting in the chair drawing a picture on his arm while the tattoo artist in mask and gloves wielded the needle. The client's expression was pain, but he knew to be momentary for something he chose. Quinn glanced at the forearm covered with her coat. The magic tattoo always hurt her every time she thought of it.

"Quinn, if you don't mind, can we wait at the station?"

Quinn didn't object. They walked to the place and sat on a bench to wait for the train that would leave in an hour and a half. Santana leaned her head on Quinn's shoulder, which hugged her. Quinn wished Henry had put a book in their backpack. Any book. She watched a muggle rise from the bench and leave a free newspaper. Quinn got up to go to the next bank to pick up the newspaper. In the meantime, she saw a man in a typical wizard's suit and hat crossing a column. Her heart pounded. Right there, where the deck would be, they would be the entrance to some witch platform.

"Why does Glasgow need a wizard transport network?" Quinn mumbled as she walked quickly to stand next to Santana. She sat down next to her friend, with the newspaper in her hands and said at the foot of her ear. "Let's wait on another platform until the time comes."

"What happened?"

"Can you trust me once in a lifetime?"

Quinn noticed that there was a man looking toward them. He approached casually, as if about to ask a question. It was when Quinn pulled her friend's face and kissed her mouth. It was common for people to look sideways when they saw a couple kissing. Especially if they were same-sex couples. Quinn was kissing with an open eye, without losing the shadow of the man, who disguised and went in the other direction.

"What is it now?" Santana was already irritated.

Quinn didn't answer. She took her friend's hand and pulled it. They hurried along the platforms. Quinn pulled the wand from inside her coat, ready for the clash. They walked to a fuller place and hid behind a pillar. When the man in question passed, Quinn followed him and approached him from behind, wielding her wand behind him.

"Quiet."

They followed to an empty point of the station, already beyond the platforms. Quinn pushed the man against the wall, with Santana covering him.

"Who are you?"

"Douglas Caprino."

Quinn looked at Santana, who shook her head. That name was unfamiliar. But the man seemed to have self-control above the ordinary, as if he were involved in something.

"Okay, Mr. Caprino. Why are you following us? "

"I'm not following you. It was you who showed up."

"Who are you?" Santana asked.

"Douglas Caprino." The man repeated.

"I don't want to know your name, you idiot, I want to know who you are in this game?" Santana was annoyed.

"I'm not on their side, if that's what you're thinking. I am just an Italian merchant caught in the confusion that has become this country. Today, some people began to spread posters of you two in all the wizarding points. They said you're were dangerous, especially the brunette."

"It was already late," Santana lamented. "Look, sr. Caprino, I don't want to hurt you, but I can't trust your chivalry either. I don't know you, so don't take it personally."

"Are you going to obliviate me here?" He was indignant.

Before the man could react, Santana made him unconscious. She looked at her new wand and was amazed at how well it answered her.

"You're better at this memory thing than I am."

Quinn nodded and did what she had to do.

"He didn't seem to be a bad guy. If he really wanted to report us, he wouldn't have followed us." Santana commented. "We just can't. It's all very confusing, very recent."

"You don't have to justify yourself to me, San," Quinn said as she finished obliviating the Italian wizard. Then she began to grope his pockets for the wallet. Quinn saw that he had some documents for both the wizarding world and the Muggle world, plus some money. Quinn left the wallet with the man, but took all the muggle money.

"Now you've become a pickpocket?" Santana was indignant.

"We're going to need the money," Quinn said without remorse.

"What are we going to do now? If he has recognized us, others will do the same."

"Well, I'm not seeing any dementors around, or death eaters. So, we are safe for now. Our platform is next to a witch platform," Quinn finally explained.

"Oh damn!"

"I don't know why, but this platform is getting more and more crowded. We can use this to our advantage. We just have to stay on a distant platform until boarding time, okay?"

Santana nodded in agreement.

...

It was a relief when they were able to board Middlesbrough without further incident. They made a stop in Edinburgh when they made the connection. Then they set off on an uncomfortable train to the standards that were accustomed to the Hogwarts Express. They sat side by side, with Santana sleeping almost all the time on Quinn's shoulder, while the Slytherin enjoyed the night scenery through the window. Sometimes she checked her friend's temperature. She didn't have a thermometer, but Santana seemed feverish to judge from the heat on her skin and from the fact that Santana was curled up, as if she felt very cold despite the pleasant temperature inside the train.

The train journey ended in Duhan, a city already on English soil. Quinn woke Santana and made her walk to the bus station that would complete the ride to Middlesbrough. It was after midnight when they got off at the bus station. Moors was next door, but with Santana burning in with fever due to the strong flu, Quinn knew it would be stupid to go on in the night. They walked around the bus station in search of a hotel that could be cheap and decent. They found one called Travelodge Middlesbrough Hotel, which looked good and they could pay one night's worth of money stolen from the Italian dealer. Quinn checked in, appealing to the magic to circumvent the absence of documents in the guest registry. The attendant led the new guests to a first floor apartment in a single room with a double bed, television and bathroom.

"Breakfast is served from six to ten." The clerk informed her before she desired a good rest and closed the door.

Quinn checked Santana's temperature once again. The chosen one was already completely limp, lying in the middle of the bed. Quinn herself was beginning to feel the most troublesome effects of the flu. She forced Santana to undress. She took of her own and pulled her sick friend into the shower stall, which was bounded by the space of the small bathtub. They showered together, and Quinn made sure Santana lingered longer under the warm shower hoping to make the fever subside. Quinn tried not to think about being under the shower next to her attractive and completely naked friend, who she kind of was in love. Santana was thinking so far away that she didn't care being naked in the shower with Quinn again, but Quinn felt the excitement every time some parts brushed against her friend.

It was easy to be naked along with Santana. It was easy to kiss her and not have to think of major consequences. She thought for a moment that it might be easy to have sex, like the last time they've been together. That it would be simple to manipulate Santana once again. Acting for the moment, Quinn took her friend's face and kissed her mouth.

Santana pushed her gently after a minute, feeling Quinn's tongue inside her own mouth.

"Quinn..." Santana said a little breathlessly from the kiss and also from the flu. "I don't want to cheat on Lily. I love her too much, and I don't want this to happen again. Please, I don't want this, please… you know I'm not able to resist you in this condition. So, please…"

"So, do you want me too?"

"I love you, Quinn, and I need you by my side, but as my best friend. Please! Be my best friend."

Quinn stared at Santana. It was unbelievable how such a powerful person could be, at the same time, so fragile. It was even touching. It was one of the things she loved most in Santana: be so approachable and human. Not to mention that Santana was the only person she felt comfortable being touched. Quinn felt proud of having power over the chosen one. For knowing that it would always be a choice. But the truth was that Santana always thought of Lily first, always chose Lily first. Even when Quinn and Santana kissed for the first time in the fourth year, it was because of Lily. Lily was the first choice ever, and Quinn hated being the second place. Being the second-choice taste like being the first loser of the line. So, she let Santana go. She walked away from the chosen one, turned off the shower and took the towel to start wiping herself.

"I think your fever has subsided a bit. We need to rest and look for your sweetheart tomorrow."

"Thank you." Santana said sincerely.

As they dried in silence, Santana used the hotel toothbrush and toothpaste. She was relieved to finally be able to make proper hygiene. She put on her robe and chose the left side of the bed. Quinn lingered a little longer in the bathroom, regretting her own attitude. She looked at herself in the mirror, combed her hair, and put on the second available robe. Quinn lay down beside her friend. Santana turned on the television. It was the rerun of Sherlock Holmes series. They both enjoyed ten minutes of the show and fell asleep exhausted.

...

The girls only left the hotel at noon. They drank breakfast and carried everything they could from the freely available items: soap, toothbrushes and toothpaste, the tiny comb. Quinn still thought about snatching a towel, but Santana wouldn't allow it: it would be too bold. From backpacking and back to the world, they passed a pharmacy and bought a generic medicine that relieved the flu symptoms with the rest of the stolen money. Santana saw a Samsung shop on the avenue they walked by and had the idea of getting in to check on the internet.

"They let us use the computers?" Quinn was impressed, watching her friend calmly maneuver a tablet.

"Everything to please the customer," Santana replied without taking her eye off the screen. "This is Google maps that I told you about." She showed the screen to Quinn. "The navigation will be a bit slow, but it's because of our magic energy," Santana said as she manipulated the screen. She showed Middlesbrough and Moors to Quinn. "You see? We're in this grey area and we need to find a farm that's in that area."

"It's a lot land to cover, San. It will take us a long time to find the farm."

"It depends. This is a matter of scale. See. The Professor Neville's note says it is near to Harwood Dale." Santana zoomed in and showed Quinn. "It means it's in a radius next to that place. That we should look for from there." Santana went to a photograph of the place and looked intensely at the image in order to decorate it in the smallest details.

They left the store and Santana sought a safe place. They went off.

They disappeared exactly in the place where Santana decorated the image. It was a beautiful, very green farm whose entrance was cut by a highway. The entrance pointed to a house made out of apparent bricks. The mailbox at the door was a particularly lovely detail, carefully set to amaze tourists. It was for that particular farm that lent itself: to attract tourism.

Santana, feeling weak and a bit nauseated partly by the very worn out physical condition and the flu. She leaned against Quinn when she felt her legs flutter, but she took a deep breath and lifted her head.

"This is the zero point. If we don't find the farm till nightfall, we'll come back here and start over tomorrow morning. What do you think?"

"It's the only plan we have, San. So close and so far."

They began to walk side by side. Since nothing should be so easy for them, it began to rain.

...

The adults worked like crazy in the main farmhouse. It was as if watching one of those serials in which a secret military team or if superheroes begins the installation of a base. The difference was that instead of computers, there was the installation of a wizard, a giant meeting table, cauldrons, herbs. Fantastic animals, like hippogriffs, were accommodated in the barns. The only computer had been settling in an isolated hut on the edge of the property, where it was possible to access the internet. Hermione would take care of this hoary tooth and nail because, a priori, it was the only and best contact she had with Muggle allies. Merlin knew how much they would need them during the battle.

Not all families would remain on the farm. Soon a plan of redistribution would be made, where it would be possible to organize the resistance force in an articulated and non-centralized way. However, it was important that they remain pooled until the dust settles. The popular appeal of Zabini and Samuel Evans was on the rise. The coup left the impression that they actually saved the population from a government that was supposedly to wipe out the wizarding culture of the United Kingdom and then the world. The measures were immediate. The Daily Prophet had stopped circulating because the first attack is always against communication. Freedom of the press couldn't be given because words of opposition could take root in fertile lands. Hermione predicted that the second attack would be educational and cultural. Books would be banned, Hogwarts' curriculum grid would be redirected to the ideological bias supremacist and thus create a generation without critical sense because they would only learn to think in a way.

The new government couldn't cut off relations with the prime minister and the crown. That would mean a declaration of war that the supremacists knew not to have the slightest condition of winning. Gradually, however, they would take more and more isolationist positions until the moment when such a breakup would sound natural. Muggles don't need witches, after all. No longer given the current technological development. But they have needed and used in the past. Until the seventeenth century, the great innovations went from witches to Muggles, even with the harmful and political meddling of the church. The game turned in the eighteenth century. All this was nothing more than a story overrun by one side, not so much by the other.

The fact was that there would be a time when the population would begin to be dissatisfied with repression and impositions. The rebellion would be ready to house all these people and thus build the counterattack. It would not take a decade of waiting. Things happened much faster.

The "children" were installed in one of the smaller houses. Lily still had her shoulder immobilized, just as Marley recovered from her broken ankle. Rachel used the compression in her ribs. She still couldn't turn around without feeling much discomfort, or sleeping on the right side. Lysander was still on bed, basically fed on the not very tasty soups, full of miraculous herbs prepared by his mother. The others were fine. Many worried about families, but happy to have survived the massacre promoted inside Hogwarts.

"Professor Flitwick got in touch!" Bail ran to the house to tell the news he had received from his elders. "Professor Flitwick got in touch!"

"How?" Luna, who was keeping company, went down the stairs quietly.

"Flitwick and Professor Patil were able to enter Ravenclaw and save some of the students who were resisting the attack. They took refuge in a place called Red Point. Lorcan is with them, Mrs. Scamander. Your other son is fine."

Luna closed her eyes and didn't stop smiling. Mother's heart is never wrong. She was always sure the other twin would be fine.

"Anyone else?" Lily asked.

"Mike survived. It seems that Professor Flitwick left most of the students in Portree and went on to Red Point with four students. Lorcan, Mike, Miranda Larson and Glory Watson. "

"Yes!" Luna smiled. "He returned the students who weren't supposed to be involved. Got the committed ones."

"Will they come here?" Finn asked.

"Not so early." Luna throbbed. "There would be no need. Now, if you'll excuse me..."

The young people watched Luna come out in the rain with all the tranquility of the world. Even as an adult, the mother of two teenage children, Luna's little eccentricities always impressed.

"Any word from my sister?" Rachel asked.

"What is known is that she escaped along with Fabray and Professor Longbottom. And nothing else."

Lily and Rachel exchanged glances. Lily took action and decided to listen to the answers in person. She took the new wand she had received and pointed it up, conjuring a magic umbrella. Lily walked to the main house, but before entering, Junior, the hippogriff flew over the house. The impression Lily had was that it was carrying someone. Curious, Lily turned away from the main house and went to the barns. She could see Junior landing with two people on its back.

"For Merlin!" Lily ran as she pointed toward them. "You did it! You did it!" Lily jumped into Santana's arms, not caring as her girlfriend was soaked, and almost knocking her down in the process. "You found us!"

"That beast found us." Quinn replied by rolling her eyes to the girlfriends' meeting.

"Hippogriff." Santana smiled weakly. "What happened to you?" She touched her girlfriend's immobilized arm.

"You wouldn't believe the story." lily touched her girlfriend's neck and frowned as she realized Santana was burning with fever. "I think we'd better get out of this rain."

"It's a good idea."

Lily helped her girlfriend walk her with her good arm laced around her waist, causing Quinn to follow them. By three o'clock, it was the end of a nightmare. It would be nice to be able to recover a little before facing the next challenge.

...

The council was assembled. Harry Potter, Ron Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ginny Potter, Luna Scamander, Draco Malfoy. Everyone was present in the makeshift room discussing the course the resistance should take.

"We need to get them out of here," Harry said. "If we all stay in one place, let's make their work easier. We need to spread it."

"How?" Ron asked.

"Let's put the contingency plan in place. Form the small cells and establish communication strategies between us." Hermione placed the notes she and Potter had done on the table. "We form leaders to act on different fronts. I'm going to Ireland to try to act politically in our favour. Harry will form the cells next to the aurors that are faithful to us to act on the front and the field of intelligence. For those who are not prepared, we have this base and base in Iceland. And obviously we have to keep the hippogriff flying."

"What do you mean?" Ron continued to question.

"We have to keep Santana Lopez away from the front, and moving. She and her family."

"Until when?" It was Draco's turn to question.

"Even when the time comes for her to go to the front and face the war."

...

Santana hugged Quinn, as did the other colleagues from the Order of Hippogriff with whom she would be forced to leave. The newly formed 17-year-old took the backpack and put it on her back. Santana wore a cap, jeans, trekking shoes, waterproof jacket. It was as if she was ready to face both city and open nature. Next to her were Lily Potter, Rachel Berry, Finn Hudson and Albus Potter as cell leader.

"Where are we going?" Lily asked her older brother.

"Dover, and then France, then the world!" Albus replied with an uncertain smile.

"Time to hit the road." Santana sighed.

The group clasped each other and disappeared.


	18. Year 8 - part 1

A hawk watched from the top of the tower near the beach on the France's Atlantic coast, near La Rochelle. It was as if the animal were watching the prey, figuring out the right moment. Suddenly, the hawk flew low to the ground and, with a precision that no human would dream of having, captured a mouse. It got off quickly. One of the ways the hawk kills prey is to fly as high as it can and release the prey. The animal dies with the impact on the ground. But that hawk had other business in mind. With the fastest speed of the birds of prey in the animal kingdom, the hawk carried the mouse to a small group of people 30km away. It landed on the sleeve of one of the young men.

"Very well, girl!" He took the rat from the bird's claws and raised its arm so that the animal could fly again.

The hawk flew behind a wall. The bird of prey began to transfigure itself, growing and gaining the form of a human being. The person in question was a pretty blond-haired, green-eyed woman about six feet tall and a big tattoo on her right forearm. She was naked, but behind the wall was a change of clothes specially reserved for her. She put on her dress and coat, put on her sandals, and was ready to meet the group. The femme animagus met Mike Chang, Lorcan Scamander and Teddy Lupin holding the mouse.

"Finite homorphus," Teddy said.

The mouse also began to grow and take on human form. The others smiled at the sight of a frightened Ezra Goyle.

"As I suspected, it's tiny." Quinn Fabray looked down and smirked at old Slytherin and Quidditch colleague.

"You can't run away much longer, Fabray." Goyle tried to demonstrate self-control in the adverse situation. Teddy was tying his wrists and it was unlikely he could steal a wand so soon to return to the form of animagus. "The master is waiting for you."

"I'm not running, and I want your master to go to bloddy hell," Quinn said without emotion. "Where are the werewolves?"

Goyle rolled his eyes.

"It doesn't make sense anymore to protect these animals. I don't know why you insist on it."

Teddy, hot-headed, punched Goyle.

"For the last time, where are the werewolves?" Teddy pulled Goyle's ear, which screamed.

"They're all going to die. No matter what they do, we'll be able to cleanse Europe of these abominations."

"The rat!" Mike raged as he drove Goyle to the hovel they had rented temporarily.

Since the siege squeezed two years ago and the supremacist wave spread like a plague across Europe, the resistance needed to get out of Moors' safe harbor and split into several fronts. Quinn, Mike, Lorcan, Teddy, Rose, Scorpius and most of the Aurors who remained loyal to Hermione Granger and Harry Potter remained as advanced agents, working in small groups, hidden among muggles and providing valuable information to the resistance. They worked hard in an attempt to reverse the game.

Hermione and others fought in the political arena, but work needed to be done on every possible front. Hermione Granger and Harry Potter were behind every organization. They sent Santana out of Europe so she could gain a worldview, hoping she would come back as the leader she should be.

When the first results of the policy that spread to Europe were the emergence of refugees, the plans needed to be readapted. Dumbledore's Armada and the Order of Hippogriff needed to be reorganized, politically inclusive, to shelter the refugees, an immense mass of muggleborns and first-generation half-bloods, as well as their spouses who became targets as well. Albus and Neville were displaced to Africa to receive the refugees and manage the crisis. There were also other people who were frightened by the wizard's secret war and decided to stay away, as was Rachel's case.

Eventually, Santana and Lily found themselves alone, traveling the world, knowing other realities, needs, cultures.

In the three years since the Hogwarts escape, Quinn decided that she would try to become an Animagus, inspired by Athena Milles, who, in addition to tutoring, also became a great mentor in all the time they stayed together. Athena, who was a hare in animal form, taught every step to attentive student. After nine months of preparation, Quinn was able to transform. The process was completed a few weeks before Moors's second major stampede, when the "officers of revolution" found the farm and attacked it. Basically, the Order of Hippogriff, which was allocated to the base for intensive training, fled to France on brooms, hippogriffs and every form of transport by hand. It was in France that the front of the resistance reorganized.

Quinn had been working in Europe for two years, not staying more than a few weeks in each place. Sometimes she got tired of that life, sometimes she wondered what it would be like to give up and desert to live in a neutral country and away from the war, as Rachel did. Then, she change and take a long flight. No one who couldn't turn into a bird would ever know how wonderful the feeling of flying was. It was freedom in its fullness. She disappeared a few days in the form of a hawk and then returned refreshed for another mission.

The current mission in which the group worked had to do with the order to revoke all rights of the werewolves, which began under the rule of Samuel Evans and spread to the other allied countries of the United Kingdom. As a result, dozens of werewolves (who were already naturally discriminated against in witch society) became persecuted and killed. Teddy was particularly sensitive to the subject because of his father's story, Remus Lupin. He threw himself into the mission of trying to save as many werewolves he could. They worked a few weeks collecting information, found that Goyle was the trusted agent reporting the actions in France to the new Evans government and they decided to hunt him down.

They followed his trail, which led them to the French coast and found that Goyle had also become an Animagus. Quinn became a hawk for two purposes: either to capture him or to follow him until she could discover the site of dirty operations in France. Quinn would do whatever was most appropriate, so she captured him.

Once between members of the resistance, Goyle found himself cornered for the first time in a long time. Mike and Teddy forced him into a chair and tied him up. Quinn threw a towel on the lap of the ex-colleague who was naked, so that there was the least dignity. Lorcan went to his purse and picked up a vial with a portion of the truth created by the legendary Severus Snape.

It wasn't an easy thing to get all the ingredients of the portion or even to reproduce it. Muggles made several attempts to create such a substance using chemical experiments, but at most they were able to develop the cocktail that makes the person uninhibited and willing to talk. Which wasn't to say that it would tell the truth. Snape studied each of these attempts and tested these formulas with magical elements that could make the serum work. It was three years of research until he found a formula for a truth serum of short duration (the effect lasted for about five minutes, a little more or a little less, depending on the person's resistance).

Harry inherited all the notes from Severus Snape. The development of the formula was recorded in a single notebook. It was Harry himself, in partnership with Hermione, Ginny and Ron, who put together the ingredients (they invaded a chemistry lab in a pharmaceutical industry), produced the portion and distributed the bottles to the groups operating in Europe. The amount was small, only for two or three interrogations, so you had to use it wisely.

Teddy's urgency about the subject that was particularly sensitive didn't make him ponder. He wanted the information and wouldn't waste time with interrogations. With Mike's help, he poured some of the saline into Goyle's mouth and forced him to swallow, capturing his nose and mouth at the same time. When the young man turned blue, they knew it was time and they needed to be quick.

"Where are the werewolves?" Teddy asked.

"Arrested in the basement of the Figaro deposit, in the port area of the city."

"Which city?"

"La Rochele."

"Will they be executed?"

"Yes."

"When?"

"Any time. They just need a signal from Blaise Zabini."

"How many guard the warehouse?"

"Five."

"What's the main charge?"

"Jean Moulliaut."

"Good. We already have what we need." Lorcan said rubbing his own hands in a typical gesture, almost like a nervous tic.

"Quinn, obliviate this scrotum," Teddy ordered.

"No... I have one more question." She approached the former colleague. "What do you know about the refugee camp?"

"Not much. But once we have a concrete clue, Zabini himself will destroy it and kill all the leaders, especially if Santana Lopez be there."

"Do you know where Santana Lopez is now?"

"No, but we know she travelled to Africa with her main lover."

Quinn's blood froze. She thought the refugee camp could be safe and secret, but that wasn't quite the case. The risk was greater than I thought.

"At least we still have time." Quinn blew out and left Goyle unconscious. Then obliviated him.

"We should eliminate guys like this idiot," Teddy said angrily.

"On the battlefield it's even acceptable. That way it would take us down" Lorcan mused as he watched the young man fainted and tied to a chair.

"This is war!" Teddy raged.

"I know," Lorcan said with his usual stoicism. "It doesn't mean that we need to lower ourselves further. We are not murderers. We are not like him."

Quinn smiled in the corner of her face and apparated with Goyle. She left him in the midst of an area of reforestation, provided only with the towel that would cover it. Quinn returned to apparate again inside the hovel, returning to meet with her friends.

"We need to act now," Teddy ordered, after all, he was the leader of the group. "We can't afford to wait for reinforcements."

They made their way to the Port Atlantique of La Rochelle, which was the industrial zone of the city. Deposits buildings were what most had in that place, which was one of the gates of entry and exit of the industrial trade of France. Quinn knew that as a hawk she could make better coverage of the area and find such a warehouse more easily. But she wasn't an experienced Animagus enough to transfigure the clothes along with her body, as Minerva McGonagall was capable of doing. She turned into a hawk, but the clothes stayed and she was completely naked. If, on the one hand, the search would be facilitated, on the other, the group would have a lesser wizard in the confrontation.

They turned the harbor in search of this Figaro thing. They asked some of the muggles who crossed paths. Nothing. No one who worked in the industrial area of the beautiful and organized seaside town knew any warehouse with the name they were looking for. An hour, two, three had passed, and the youth group began to grow impatient, thinking that Snape's formula had not worked. They stopped to drink some water. As they rested under a tree that stood in front of a repair shop entering a modest neighbourhood next to the port area, a graphite on the wall of the workshop caught Mike's eye. He went to the wall and touched the graphite.

"Le Figaro!"

Mike touched his wand in the graphite and felt that there was a building hidden in the lot of the machine shop. He took a deep breath and with the tip of his wand walked determinedly toward the wall. He patted his face. A muggle, passing by at random, saw an idiot walking purposefully against the wall and shook his head, muttering that this was a place of imbeciles.

Teddy quickly saw if his friend was okay. Mike just felt the knock. Two minutes and it would be brand new. Lorcan touched the graphite and studied the place for a few minutes. He took two steps back and gestured with his wand in his hands as if he were opening a window. Suddenly, the building reconfigured and revealed a warehouse.

Teddy took the lead. He gestured to the others, who positioned themselves. They opened the door at once and took an offensive action inside the building, ready to knock down anyone they could find in the front. Despite this, there was no one at the entrance. They went to the front door and opened it doing the same thing. As Mike and Teddy stormed in with Quinn and Lorcan in the rear, they found a scene they had never imagined. It was a large hall painting in pale yellow and with peeling and dirty walls near the baseboard. Cages were scattered on the spot. Non-fixed grids, such as cages for large animals. Inside each cage were a dead man. They were dead werewolves. Quinn put her hand to her mouth to prevent herself from screaming. They arrived too late.

...

"What do you think?"

"I liked. Wasn't that good for you?"

"It was different. It was definitely different and… nice. Only strange at the same time." Santana looked down at her belly and saw that the 'strange element' was still there. "This is temporary, right?"

"The portion effect is temporary."

"Are you sure?"

"Are you sorry?"

"No, babe. I'm not... it's just weird to see myself with... I prefer my original parts."

"You're definitely much more attractive with your original parts."

"Ah! We have an agreement."

"But if we want to have our own kid, it's good to experiment to know how it's done."

"We're only 20, Lil. It's a bit early."

"You don't want to be like a muggle and only have children after 30, right?"

"Not so much to heaven, nor so much to earth. Besides, we're in the middle of a war."

"That's why we need to take every opportunity to do these things."

Lily looked idly at the window of the old tent that had served them for the past three years. The scenery was incredible with the silhouette of the baobab trees under the magnificent full moon. She looked back at her beautiful girlfriend's face. It was another incredible landscape. Santana's bronze skin contrasted perfectly with her pale white skin. Dark eyes against green eyes. Black hair against red hair. The firm breasts of both, strong and feminine body. Lily's fingers moved over her girlfriend's body, following the curves she admired. Until she looked down and frowned.

"Should not that be... soft?"

"I think it was staying to be like that, until you started touching me again."

"That easy?"

"This is pissing me off."

"It will over soon."

Lily continued to touch her girlfriend. She kissed Santana on the lips and stroked down her neck, clavicle, and finally her breasts. Meanwhile, her hands moved south until they reached the rigid foreign piece of body, causing a loud groan from her girlfriend.

"Am I hurting you?"

"No... it's good... very good." Santana closed her eyes as her girlfriend continued to explore the strange element. "It's like a giant clitoris without half the sensitivity, but with all the exhibitionism."

"Poor you."

Lily moved over to Santana. With the girlfriend between her legs she led the strange element into the vagina, which housed all the size.

"Better now?" Lily smiled, also enjoying the penetration.

"It's nice to feel you feel that way. I think that's the only advantage."

Lily began to move over Santana, trying to find the pace that was satisfactory. She also preferred the way it was the traditional one for them, where fingers and tongue knew the way to all the right spots that made her always enjoy. But there was such a portion that caused the transfiguration in the womb and that opened the way so that two women could have their own children. Lily thought it would be interesting to try it at least once by curiosity. Lily wanted very much to have kids in the future, but she didn't care about DNA. She would think about adoption and knew that Santana wasn't against the idea. The difference was that Santana would only think about it seriously if she survived the war.

But Lily was curious about the transfiguration. They knew about the possibility a long time ago, but it was a potion and magic forbidden in Europe for the supposed risks. They say that being under the influence of a polyjuice potion could work, but Lily would hate to have sex with Santana by looking at someone else's face. But that kind of transfiguration potion was a product of the black market that circulated in Africa and Asia. It was in Sudan that they met a eccentric wizard, who promised that the potion would change their lives. They buy it for curiosity, but it took a few weeks before Santana had the courage to drink it, after she lost a bet with Lily. When Santana finally tried, two minutes later it was as if she had a severe cramp. She needed to lie down on her stomach and eventually dozed off for about 15 minutes. When she awoke, the strange element was already present.

Sex didn't happen right away. It took Santana a couple of hours to build up courage and expose herself to her girlfriend with something she considered horrifying. It was a ghastly monster that had come up instead of her delicate pussy. Lily didn't know too well what to do, and she followed her instincts as they began to play. Santana fumbled for a bit, lacking coordination between the penetration and the added touch that was so well coordinated when it was just tongue and fingers. Lily said she liked it and had truth in her words. But Santana didn't. The second attempt was a little better, less cluttered, especially since Lily was on top, dictating the rhythm. Santana found a way to help and together they were learning new ways to make love. Santana's cum happened first, and she tried to do what she could to keep up the same pace until Lily succeeded. But it didn't come and the sex ended.

"That sucks!" Santana was frustrated. "Even the orgasm is in half. I can't feel it all over my body. I don't have the same energy. It's as if my sensitivity has diminished."

"It's okay, babe. It's temporary."

"I swear by Merlin that we won't do it again. Do you agree?"

"Yes, I do."

Lily looked at the ceiling. Two attempts and she couldn't full enjoy the sex. This was frustrating for her. This didn't go unnoticed by Santana, who tried to take action. She shifted, first kissing her girlfriend and then going straight to business. Santana positioned herself between Lily's legs and stared at her girlfriend's vagina. She began to move the tip of her finger to the sensitive clitoris, making circular movements. Lily took a deep breath and settled herself in a more relaxed position. Santana slowly penetrated her, seeking more to massage the walls of her vagina than to stimulate friction pure and simple. She began to play with her girl's clit with the tip of her tongue and got Lily's approval. When Lily pressed Santana's head against her own sex, Santana knew the game was over and she had to work seriously: Lily was close. When the redhead came, Santana smiled. Reduced the intensity of the movements and ended giving a simple kiss on her girlfriend's pussy before returning to lie beside her.

"Better?" Santana asked.

"Not that it wasn't good before. It was, babe. But it's just that you've gotten right on point."

"I'm glad." Santana frowned at a slight cramp she felt again. "Oh… thank Merlin!" She said before turning on her face. The pain of the end of the effect wasn't like the first one, but it was possible to feel the body changing in her womb. Despite the annoyance, there was a certain euphoria and relief at being a woman all over again. "How long did it last?" Santana asked, her face still on the pillow.

"About 12 hours."

"More than enough."

"Don't complain!"

Santana turned to her girlfriend and they exchanged a brief kiss.

"Are you okay?" Santana replied with a nod. The truth is she was exhausted. She closed her eyes and sleep was the grand plan of the time. Lily patted her girlfriend's black hair, helping her sleep.

Lily straightened to sleep. She looked again through the window of the tent. The baobabs were still there. She sighed. The next day they would go on a trip again. This time to Angola, when they would see for the first time the refugee camp that was formed due to the war in Europe.

...

Albus took the packet brought by the owl. Inside it were decoded messages and newspaper clippings. First, he analyzed the cuts. They were newspapers from various parts of Europe: France, Germany, Austria, Bulgaria and, finally, the United Kingdom. The news recorded the advance of the so-called "purifying wave" across the continent. Muggle-borns came to be treated as second-class citizens, mestizos were given classifications according to distance from impurity, as they have said. The result was the growing mass of exiles. Wizards who ended up in poverty because rare were those who also had a record among muggles. If they didn't exist, they were treated as illegal migrants without entitlement to the benefits guaranteed by the state. Moreover, the education they received in witchcraft schools didn't qualify them for the demands of the muggle labour market, causing them to be forced to survive in underemployment. Nor could they conjure magic, for their wands were broken and they could be arrested and even executed if they practiced magic in front of a muggle. The situation was hopeless.

"Any news?" Marley sat down in front of Albus and handed him a cup of coffee.

"Not a significant one." Albus analyzed the decoded message. "James has sent a statement that 13 more refugees will arrive at this camp in a couple of days."

Marley took a sip of coffee and looked out the window. There were six masonry buildings and 78 stalls installed in the field. But most of the refugees were so tired that the idea of setting up a colony in central Angola was far more attractive to them than trying to regain the country. This was a problem that could lead to serious political and social conflicts.

"You said we don't have enough resources to fuel so many people?" Marley questioned. "Besides, they're coming in today."

"I know, but nobody cares. All other countries have closed borders."

"Bastards!" Marley grunted. "They say they support, but that's just blah, blah, blah. On the day of the coup, nobody did anything at all. They wrote a note of repudiation for the massacre of students and even blame us! They didn't even make an apology when your father and your aunt proved that we had nothing to do with it. Now they closed the borders?"

"Don't kill the messenger, Marley."

"Albus, we have 508 wizards from all over Europe here and coming more. That wasn't in the plans. Soon, even the African Confederation will begin to bar refugees and stop helping us with resources. "

"There's a central problem with this story."

"What is it?"

"She is coming and if the news mirrors, the flow of refugees can increase a lot."

"You're right." Marley sighed. "What do we do?"

"Prepare for the arrival of my sister and Santana. Then we'll think about this problem."

...

Santana and Lily travelled a lot for three years. Rachel and Finn were the first to say goodbye after a year traveling in Europe with the other couple and Albus Potter. They were in Trento, Italy, when Rachel married Finn Hudson and decided to come back to U.S. Rachel said she was tired of being on the move, unable to settle anywhere for more than a month, or less if assassins sent by Samuel Evans and allies found them. She, as an American citizen, could count on protection from the country's security force, and she could still guarantee that Finn Hudson as her husband enjoyed the same benefits.

Albus left the company of the girls a month later at Harry Potter's request, to assume the administration of a refugee camp that was beginning to form. So Lily and Santana started to travel alone through the wizarding world. In the following two years, they went to the Middle East, North and South Asia, a good part of Africa, Australia, New Zealand, North America and went in South America through Brazil. Lily and Santana loved the country, but they did not stay for long because they quickly discovered that the continent's main country was closing to European citizens, or the new refugees of the world. Unlike the disorganized and weak Brazilian muggle administration, the Federation of Magicians of Brazil, as it was called, had a rigid, controlling and conservative government. The mayors didn't want the rumour that Santana Lopez and Lilian Potter were in the country to avoid diplomatic controversy.

Santana and Lily discovered that, unlike Europe, where the wizarding geopolitical organization followed that of Muggles, in the countries of the Middle East, South-Asiatics and Africans had different logics. Iran housed a sort of witch-capital of Middle Eastern countries, minus Turkey, which had proper organization. The witch population was small and scattered among the countries of the region, but the executive power that governed it was very democratic. Each country had a chair in parliament and decisions were always taken by majority vote. The موسسه تخت جمشید (Persepolis Institute), was a small school compared to the world's major ones. She had a curriculum that included physics and alchemy. It was also the only region on the planet whose most popular wizarding sport was not Quidditch, but rather the spectacular rush of flying carpets with obstacles.

Santana and Lily spent three months in Iran until they had to move when assassins sent by Zabini and Samuel discovered them and there was a clash in a public square in the peaceful village of Dayem. The couple had to leave before it caused more disturbances. But not before winning sympathizers in parliament and the admiration of people who lived together.

On the contrary to what happened in the Muggle world, the governments of India and Pakistan didn't separate in the wizarding world. It was a politically confused country, apart from everything, complex. Religion had a preponderant role. Many of the Indian gods were representations of rare magical creatures that still existed or were already extinct. The caste system was also present in the wizarding organization, which was very small, made up of only 26,000 people. Santana and Lily spent 45 days between India and Pakistan. Despite being a perfect hiding place, they couldn't adapt to the different customs, crowded cities (there wasn't an exclusively wizarding village), nor to the food and to the numerous dialects that existed there. In addition, it was in India that Lily got ill and provoked Ginny Potter's first and only intervention on this trip. Ginny stayed with the couple for a week, tending to Lily, until she recovered.

Indians, Pakistanis, as well as most wizards and witches living in that South Asian region studied at the Bomdeling Institute in Bhutan. Lily and Santana spent four months between the Institute and the village of Dorji, which housed the school. Dorji was the most important commercial center in South Asia. The fixed population was no more than 8,000 people, but there were at least twice as many merchants from all over the world who were passing through Dorji as well as the students and teachers at Bomdeling. The village, one of the most important in the wizarding world (behind Alto Paraíso and Koldovstoretz), was basically a market where the rarest and most expensive materials were found for making potions and for making spells.

Bomdeling was a peculiar school. It was divided into three buildings isolated from each other: the first was for children aged 7 to 10, who were literate and had basic magic classes. The second building housed adolescents aged 12 to 16, when the curriculum expanded. They had subjects similar to the curriculum offered at Hogwarts. And the third was for young adults between 18 and 21, where they specialized in some profession. There was an interval of one year from grade to grade, because this was the longest period students spent in their own countries, with their families and societies.

Lily and Santana had a hard time with the language, which was officially Burmese. But as the city had many merchants, English was a language that also circulated there. Santana was particularly impressed by the relationship the locals and students had with dragons. Half of the known species of dragons from around the world inhabited the Himalayan region. The greatest dragonologists studied at Bomdeling at some point in their lives.

Lily took advantage of the protection offered by the Confederation of South Asian Countries to further her portion studies. She liked the country, but Santana did indeed love Bhutan. It was there, at the foot of the Himalayas, that she improved the technique of casting spells without a wand, and also learned to meditate and value small things. There was a war in Europe, her friends were in danger, as well her family. But the mystical energy of Bhutan was so intense that she eventually became detached from the world. Until the world found her. The "incidents" began to happen. There came a point that Lyochelen Jigme, the diplomat accompanying them, suggested that it would be best for them to leave the country before the war came to the region through them.

Lily and Santana also made quick, backpacking, and often clandestine visits to Japan, China, Australia, New Zealand, Mexico, and the United States, when Santana was able to visit Shelby and Rachel for the first time after a year. They travelled around the world now sometimes apparating, sometimes flying in brooms, sometimes by means of Muggle transport. To each place, a learning, an experience, a survey. It had been four months since Lily and Santana had travelled through Africa. They started in Egypt and went down the continent, coming in contact with potential allies, people nominated by Adila Amandi.

When Santana got a message from an owl in Nairobi, Kenya, it was an asking from Hermione Granger about the refugee camp. She and Lily decided it was time to go to Angola and face the war head-on.

...

Santana and Lily descended from the witch-town of Bungu, where the headquarters of the Angolan wizarding government was located, shortly after lunch. They had to fly on their brooms to Kampala, Uganda, to get the wizard-like expression that cut through the African continent, one of whose lines passed through Bungu. The refugee camp was 20km from the city and served as a support base. Lily was the first to come downstairs and opened a huge smile when she saw Albus. They hadn't met for two years, and Lily, who had always been attached to her family, was miss him so much. Albus lifted his sister and spun her around. They laughed at the reunion.

Santana came down from the train and watched for a few seconds the interaction of the siblings, until realizing that Marley, Hugo, Adila and Ebo Kodwo were also at the station. For education, she greeted first her dearest Angolan allies.

"Welcome, my friend." Adila said with the handsome smile she had.

"Thank you." Santana looked at Marley. "Marley? Is it really you? Incredible, how you've grown!" Santana was really amazed at how the petite girl had gained in body and height at the age of seventeen. They hugged each other.

"You're doing great, too!"

Marley returned the compliment, which was sincere. She thought that Santana, at the age of 20, was also very pretty, with long, straight black hair, golden skin, and a slightly stronger but slim body. Lily's physical condition wasn't unlike Santana. The red hair was shoulder length, with a long fringe, which gave a certain modern cut. Lily and Santana even made a very beautiful couple.

After the greetings, the newly arrived couple made a commitment to have lunch with the Angolan leaders the next day. For that day, they had to go to the refugee camp.

"The main way to get to the camp is by broom." Albus explained on the way to the border of little Bungu, which had only three thousand inhabitants." There are people who like to ride a bike, to exercise, you know? But when the refugees arrive, we get back on foot because we don't have brooms for everyone, and the people of Bungu have already made it clear the more difficult the access to the city, the better."

"How many refugees?" Santana asked, already focused on the responsibility she was about to see.

"508 and counting. In the next days, we should welcome more 13."

"Merlin, there are already more people in the camp than in Hogsmeade!" Lily watched.

"Yes, little sister. Most are Muggle-born and half-blooded. There are some muggles too, and squibs. Half are British and the other half comes from all over Europe, especially France."

"Damn!" Santana whined.

"I think you'd better get ready," Albus said as they all mounted on their respective brooms. "Because there are a lot of people in the camp thinking that you will come to organize an army to fight in Europe."

"It's what we intend to do eventually, but not like this."

"Want a tip? Keep this information between us."

Santana was impressed by the camp already far away from the broom. It consisted of four pillars of tents, which formed three small streets within a savannah area. She could see that there was a canyon not far from the camp, where a river passed in the plateau region. When they finally got out, Santana found some kids playing with a quaffle, teenagers who were supposed to be at Hogwarts and the other European schools that sat together while they waited for the "class of the day" at the impromptu school.

"Watch out for the boys," Albus warned. "Because they are the most likely to pick up the wands and fight. Don't inflame them."

There were adults who sought to organize themselves in activities such as cooking, building, fishing, planting, or even working in the general accounts of the refugee camp. Everyone, without exception, stopped what they were doing to see Santana and Lily arriving. Some arose their fists, some women smiled shyly, some applauded, others shouted things like "finally," "it's about time." Santana was waving to people, but she wasn't sure what to say to them. Within three years, Santana and Lily acted more as privileged fugitives than as soldiers in a war. Witnessing that harsh and painful reality made Santana blame herself for not being there earlier.

They saw Neville and Padma standing in front of a masonry building. They looked like governors or something.

"Uncle Nell," Lily said.

"Welcome, Lily and Lopez." Neville greeted Lily first and then Santana with a discreet smile. Padma did the same then.

"Likewise, Professor Longbottom," Santana replied.

"Let's go in and talk, but first, I think you should say something."

Santana turned and shuddered with the small crowd before her, waiting for some words. But she didn't know what to say. Nothing. In three years, she learned a lot, became more powerful, but didn't enhance the power of rhetoric.

"We're so happy to finally be here with you." Lily stepped forward to save her girlfriend's silence. "We spent three years traveling the world, getting to know different cultures, trying to have new visions, trying to win new allies. We have matured to get here and start working together with you, to articulate a way in which we can return home. Together." Then she looked at her girlfriend.

Santana felt that Lily was giving her all the support she could by the look and also by holding her hand. She looked once more at the anxious crowd. Santana still didn't have an easy speech.

"We spent six months in Bhutan." Santana started and could see some wrinkled brows, not understanding where she would come from Bhutan. "I found it incredible how the wizards there value not the blood you have, but cultural values. Children and teenagers from many countries study in Bomdeling, and they stay a year away from school between grades because they need to recreate ties with their parents' and country's culture. There is a deep respect among the most different nationalities in South Asia that we don't even realize how it was possible. We saw wizarding cultures in every way. Which are more integrated to the muggle world, as is the case of the Indian and Pasquitanese. We have seen cultures that are more radical in the separation of worlds, such as Japanese, Chinese, and Russian. We have seen cultures that separate the worlds, but with somewhat more flexible rules, as is the case of Brazilian and American. We have seen cultures that deal with the relationship between wizards and muggles in all sorts of ways, but the only place I've ever seen a blood exclusion policy was in our house."

Santana paused thoughtfully.

"Our opponents say that the problem is with the supposed minority plan to oppress the others. That the fact that I was a homosexual and half-blood woman against a pureblood heterosexual white man was a diabolical plan of power. It is not. Never was. This is a fattening, a false discourse of those who seek to justify their own limitations and doesn't admit that the other has equal rights. Our problem was never this. Our problem is the division that happens from the foundations of our educational system. It's what says that greatness, bravery, intelligence and generosity have to have different colours and different houses. We were raised under separatist bases and carried it into adulthood. The division makes some think that magic is a blood right. But magic shows us every day that none of these matters. Blood, sexuality, skin color, nationality, this is insignificant for the magical cosmos. So much so that all Muggle years with no connection to our world are born with exceptional capabilities.

"My friends, I understood that people with our abilities need to preserve themselves from ignorance and fear from those who do not. I understood that cultural issues need to be thought seriously. There is a long way of adjustment and learning ahead of us. But tyranny is not something that comes from blood. It is a pathology, a distortion, a desire for power from those who wish to hide their own weakness and insecurity. Tyrants took the power of our house. Tyrants are expelling us and killing us because it is easier to eliminate and discard than to talk. They're killing everything they just do not like. Werewolves, centaurs, giants ... tyrants want to regulate the magical cosmos. It's time to stop. And we'll stop it!"

Santana was interrupted by shouts of approval and applause. She wanted to complement the speech, but before the reaction of the refugee audience, the moment passed. She waved at people, and stared at them for a few more minutes. Then, she was strategically pulled into one of the masonry buildings by Neville Longbottom.

...

"We built four masonry buildings so we were allowed to set up the field here." Neville explained already inside a simple room, which looked like a central office. "The first one has our dorms. This one is administrative and that's where we install the warehouse and the pantry. The other is half a cafeteria and kitchen, half a health post. We were able to set up an infirmary with six beds. The last building are the bathrooms. We all use them. I recommend taking a shower after ten o'clock. That's when the cleaning crew usually does the job."

"What about security?" Santana asked.

"We made an observation tower near the camp and the field of plantation. We take turns with volunteers from the camp and there are always two people doing night rounds. The most interesting thing, San, is that these wheels serve more to prevent violence between us. Teenagers are the worst. Too many hormones, I guess." Albus explained.

"Otherwise, we'll turn around. My wife teaches impromptu school together with other volunteers. Albus takes care of communication and security, I manage the camp, Padma takes care of the infirmary. Work is what is not lacking. But resources are missing!" Neville explained again. "And hope. There are people here who think we should build an army to resume Europe in force. There are people here who have no idea how the African organization works, and thinks we can start a new colony here, as if that had no consequences. It's hard Lopez. It's very hard."

"Granger and Harry Potter told us to come, and I understand now how important is to be here, Professor, but I don't know how to help." Santana said with odd sincerity. "Some of my dearest friends are on the front, and I think it's time for me to join them. I can see myself fighting on British soil. But what can I do here?"

"Santana, a war also wins with politics." Neville was more a professor. "And you have a very important political purpose staying here for now. Harry and Hermione know what they're doing."

"Well..." Albus saw the discomfort of Lily and Santana with Neville's speech and decided to interfere to see if he could soften. "I know you guys are tired. We saved a room for you. Everything here is very simple."

"A room for us?" Lily asked. "Who else has rooms?"

"Me, Uncle Nell, Padma, Lysander, Hugo and Marley."

Santana still thought about refusing and staying in the old tent, but she understood that there were questions of security and hierarchy she could not ignore. The separate bedroom helped to delineate such things. After a few more explanations, Albus showed the bedroom to the couple. It was a very simple place. There was a double bed, a chair and a small wardrobe, but that could easily be expanded. Lily and Santana, when they were finally alone in the bedroom, threw the dusty backpacks of the whole world on the floor. Santana sat on the bed and tested the squeaky spring mattress.

"What now?" Santana looked lost. "How are we going to deal with so many refugees? I can't lie, Lil. I'm terrified."

"Me too, San. Me too!" Lily cupped her girlfriend's face with both hands and kissed her briefly. "But let's find a way, let's think about what to do. That's what we always do. "

...

Three days in the refugee camp and Santana's anguish only increased. She saw the suffering of those people, followed the arrival of new refugees, and had no idea how she could proceed. She had spent three more years in the role of apprentice and runaway rather than leader. Yes, she learned from the most diverse types of people: teachers, students, merchants, politicians, sages, thieves, military, janitors. She learned from powerful witches and also from humble muggles. She learned, above all, to turn in the middle of nowhere, not to go hungry, to get some money. Santana and Lily practically had a postgraduate degree in survival.

Taking advantage of the fact that people were already more accustomed to her presence, she was walking through the refugee camp. The space was isolated and wide, in the province of Moxico. There were beds of nearby rivers. It was a natural park protected by Muggles. If they approached, they would see nothing but a savannah space and be compelled to leave.

African community donations were basically grains, servings ingredients and wands with baobab wood and sphinx hair core, largely fabricated on the continent and difficult to deal with, since they work in tune with wizards who have a good level of self-knowledge and are comfortable in their own skin. A baobab stick with sphinx core is offered to each student of Uagadou as a graduation certificate. Education in the African school aims at meeting oneself with the essence of magic. This requires a good degree of self-knowledge. They believe that becoming an Animagus is an essential part of the process, so that almost all of the students trained in Uagadou are animagi. For Africans, such wands aren't a problem (even because many even use it), but for many of the European adults, self-knowledge was a poorly resolved issue.

Santana walked up to the observation tower. She still didn't know what to think of such a construction, which seemed fragile to her. Albus told her that the structure should be provisional, but no one moved to build something permanent. They even made an interesting structure, transmuting clay and gravel from the river into bricks. They molded stones and a month's work later, the observation tower was ready, with 360 ° view, circular staircase, roof and a reasonable infrastructure for the person to spend the working period: a quality building for a place that should be temporary.

"Hey, Marley!" Santana greeted her friend as she climbed the tower. "How was your night?"

"Not as good as you, I suppose." When Santana turned pale and then incredibly red. Damnable mattress that made noise. Marley shook her head. "I mean, I spent the night here and you slept on a warm bed with Lily. It's not like you can see anything in your room from the tower if you… had fun... and I think I'll shut up now. "

"Glad that my room window is towards the forest and not the tower!"

Santana looked at the landscape that included the river canyon, the tributary stream they used, the forest, the planting area, the refugee camp, and Bungu. She couldn't complain about the scenery, but she wished from the bottom of her heart that the landscape wasn't permanent. Santana missed her home, she missed Hogwarts.

"Go rest, Marley. It's my turn. Now you can have fun with Hugo."

It was Marley's turn to blush. She and Hugo had been together for six months. A story that began with they being housemates, then companions of Army. Marley was a friend for Hugo when Rachel hurt him. Hugo helped Marley in her worst moments of loneliness and depression in the refugee camp. Their courtship came naturally from their involvement.

Santana watched Marley go downstairs and began work on the six-hour watch. They all did some work: her, Lily, Albus, Marley, Hugo, Padma, Neville and Hannah Longbottom, plus other volunteers from the camp. She sat in the swivel chair and looked at the table beside the chessboard with a game in progress and the magazine with crosswords. Santana took the magazine and the pen. She sighed. "The wise one with eight letters." Then, she looked at the landscape. Nothing abnormal on the horizon or in the camp. Santana picked up the pen and answered the word.

...

"Lets go Girls. At three, let's continue where we left off. One, two, three..."

Michele opened her mouth to help the two students sing at the same moment. She was annoyed that one of them was still out of tune. The poor little girl of only seven years old had any talent for music or any other art skills. But because she was a white, blond-haired girl with incredible blue eyes, star of two local shops for children's clothing stores, and the current miss Oregon kid, the child's mother occupied her with dozens of activities that supposedly helped her build a model and actress career. The other girl, who actually had a good voice and sang in the tone, was a Latina with brown skin, curly hair and regular beauty. Michele would love to be able to dispense with the little miss and focus the energy she thought it was worth. But her financial situation would never give her the luxury. Hence the fact that she had to pull the bag at Miss Oregon in the hope that the psychotic mother would tell her to her friends.

She dismissed the 45-minute class she taught twice a week. Michele waited for the mothers to fetch the children before returning to the small classroom. She took out her handbag and her music notebooks. She closed the windows and said good-bye to Joe Hart, the owner at Corvallis' small music institute. It was nothing more than a renovated house where classes were offered to learn to play musical instruments and singing. The courses were offered according to the availability of a teacher, who earned 60% of the tuition money paid by each student it earned. That was one of the tips Michele made to get the rent. She and her husband lived in a modest house near Garfield City Park and the school of the same name. This house was shared with her grandmother.

Michele hated the situation. It was one of many that discovered that the excellent training she received at Hogwarts was of no avail among muggles. She even had a certificate of completion of elementary school. So she started attending night classes for adult education at the local community school.

"Grandma, I'm home."

When Michele entered the house, she became Rachel Berry. Michele was simply the fake name she wore for security reasons. She didn't even wait for Lauren Corcoran to respond and went to the room she shared with her husband. She opened the bedroom door and found her husband sitting on the bed, conjuring a spell that floated objects. Finn played the bottle of moisturizing cream in the air.

"Unrolling?"

Finn lost control over the jar, which fell on the carpet. He turned to his wife and forced a smile.

"You're back early."

"No... I came back at the usual time. You're here earlier than you should." Rachel sat down beside her young husband. "What happened?"

"I was fired."

Rachel took a deep breath and counted to ten not to fight. Finn worked at a flower shop. Caring for plants was what was best in both worlds, so Rachel thought he would be happy. She was wrong.

"Can I know why?"

"It was an accident."

"By chance you tried..."

"No. It had nothing to do with magic. I went back in the truck, hit a customer car that stopped the car where it shouldn't. A heavy vase rolled, crumpled the car even more... it was an accident. The manager fired me."

"How much was the loss, Finn?" Rachel closed her eyes, already calculating the money she should borrow from her grandmother or Shelby, to her despair.

"Still don't know. The manager just kept on calling."

Rachel got up from the bed and started to walk from side to side, bringing her hands to her face. She was tired, very tired. She worked twice a week teaching two-piece chants, plus the occasional babysitting job, and the cleaning job she did in the city, as well as night classes. Rachel was exhausted.

"I could easily rearrange the car."

"You couldn't, Finn. We can't expose ourselves here."

Finn grunted. A touch of magic and the damage could be repaired. There was no mystery. But they couldn't do magic in that town and it was something that smothered both Finn and Rachel. The difference was that Finn was sincerer.

"I was thinking about the last letter Santana sent..."

"This subject again?"

"This world is not for me, Rach. We are nobody here."

"And what are we what there? Wanted as if we were bandits! Refugees! Even the American wizarding community treats us with suspicion. And I'm American!" Rachel snapped. "For God's sake, we agreed we could start over from here."

"This is not our place. Being a visitor, okay ... but I can't feel right here."

"What you want? Going to a secret refugee camp in Africa and waiting for the war to find you? Because, that's exactly what will happen, and we can die for a problem that is not ours. It's my sister's!"

"Maybe we could die in a war. At least we will die with a purpose and for a cause worth defending."

"When you married, you promised to stay by my side in joy and sorrow. You agreed to get away from this madness and try to start over among the Muggles. "

"I've tried... for two years since we were married. That's all I do. Only I've reached my limit, Rach. This muggle life didn't work out. I hate living with your grandmother because we can't afford something better. I hate not getting decent jobs because everything I've learned at Hogwarts is useless to these people. I hate to go out on the streets and feel like an alien that can't fit in. I hate to know that my country has been taken over by thugs, that my friends are fighting for while I am hiding here in a city that has nothing! We're a thousand miles from the nearest wizarding community. It's not fair!"

Rachel was taken aback by her husband's outburst, and took a step back. Finn was red, panting, frustrated. She caught her jaw and frowned.

"We can go back to New York, go to Kohadjo or try a job in Ilvermony. We can do this knowing that the moment our identities are checked, the war will come to us again just because I am Santana Lopez's sister. But I'm not going to war. If you want, the door is there. But know that our marriage will be settled."

It wasn't the couple's first quarrel and possibly not the last. Finn considered that the most moment of the marriage was the two weeks before the ceremony, when he asked for her hand. The day of the wedding was very happy, in the middle of a small temple in the north of Italy. It was a simple ceremony, witnessed only by the priest, by Santana, Lily, and Albus.

It was like this, a route without direction, always with fear, always suspicious. Until Rachel freaked out. She didn't want to live in fear and distrust even from her own shadow. She talked to her sister and decided that she would abandon the resistance and try the luck of a normal life in the United States. Shelby and Rachel's grandmother had already been moved from their original residences to other cities, and there would be no problem living with one of them. She convinced her husband that they couldn't have a family in the middle of a war and Finn agreed. Rachel announced the decision to leave on the eve of embarking for the new continent. It was in Italy that they said goodbye to Santana, who surprisingly understood Rachel's yearnings.

The couple went by ship from Spain to the United States. They practically traveled as clandestine ships to the port in New York on Staten Island. They were greeted by Sue Sylvester and Shelby, who was living in Boston. Yes, Shelby Corcoran was furious at the marriage she considered precipitous (who would marry at age 17 with a brat that just turned 18?). They found that the US-organization was very bureaucratic, as well as protectionist. Rachel got some internships and small jobs among Muggles, while Finn suffered to stay in a job for over a month. It was a year and a half of hard work and little satisfaction.

The war arrived in the United States in the form of heated diplomatic discussions. The magic borders were closed and Finn felt trapped. He didn't want to be there. He wanted to go home and knew he could only do this by fighting, since if he were seen in the UK (and even in Europe), he could be arrested on charges of terrorism.

Shelby realized that her daughter's marriage was in danger. More than that, she knew from the frank conversations she had with Sue that the situation in Europe was brutal. If she couldn't fight for her oldest daughter, she vowed to do her best to protect Rachel, even if it meant helping a marriage she didn't approve of. Shelby suggested that Oregon, where Lauren Corcoran was hidden, could be a good change of air. It was a state with zero wizarding activity and the couple could try to start again at the small Corvallis. Besides, Lauren Corcoran needed company: she had been very saddened since she was a widow, and only got worse when she was forced by her daughter to change not only her home, but her original city and community as well.

Finn felt terrible in a place with no trace of the world in which he had grown. He could take it and put up with it, but at one point it would burst. And so the fights between the couple were happening: they weren't violent or offensive, but they reflected the lack of harmony and common interests. Rachel also wasn't happy. Her life wasn't good in Boston, and Corvallis was like a drain dredging their souls into the limbo of mediocrity.

After the most recent discussion, Rachel went to the small yard and found her grandmother, who ended up picking some fruit to make a pie.

"Is Finn not hungry?"

"He's coming to dinner soon."

"Too bad he's not willing to have dinner with us." Lauren poured herself the mashed potatoes and the slice of roast beef.

"He lost his job ... again."

"Oh ..." Lauren watched her granddaughter put salad on her plate just to play with the food. "It must be because of his size. Finn is a little uncoordinated to work near delicate objects."

"Like an elephant near crystals." Rachel grunted.

"Why don't he try a job at a nearby farm, since he knows how to deal with planting so well? My blueberry feet have never been so colourful."

"Finn's problem is another one."

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"He misses England. That is the problem."

"I had realized that. What keeps you from coming back there?"

"There's nothing there for us. Only war and death."

Lauren ate in silence with her granddaughter. She had a traditionalist and world-conservative view. She believed in marriage between men and women only, she was a Christian who thought that any other religion was profane, she repudiated abortion, assisted death was the end of times that the legalization of marijuana was a matter of communist invasion. She saw the difficulties her granddaughter had with her hasty marriage, but like every church attendant every Sunday, the idea of divorce would be a shame to the family. Lauren was clamoring for normality, since her own daughter was a free woman who has two daughters with two distinct men. Plus her oldest granddaughter being a lesbian and her two granddaughters being witches.

"Grandmom?"

"Yes?"

"What if I go back to New York or Boston?"

"Isn't it dangerous?"

"Yes, New York is the wizarding capital of the United States. But the city is huge, and I can live there without revealing my identity. I can be Michele outside my home."

"What does your husband think about that?"

"It will be good if we try New York."

"Is that what he thinks?"

"It's what I think."

"You need to listen to your husband."

Rachel grunted softly.

...

Samuel wore the gown made of the softest fabric ever invented by a wizard. He went to the window of the nearby Ashford mansion. He took a deep breath of the countryside and tried to relax. Around the mansion and downstairs were a few sacks that were there to serve him somehow. Samuel didn't care about them, but he wouldn't give up the luxury of having employees and security guards.

He turned back to the bed and briefly studied the woman who had just had sex: none other than Kitty Wilde. She was a recurring lover, a girl who helped him fantasize about having sex with the woman he was obsessed with. He looked at the 17-year-old girl with some indifference.

"Enjoying the view?" The icy blue-eyed girl opened a fake smile.

"Today I will have a meeting with the chancellor of the European Community." Such a community is understood as Western Europe, whose seat of government was in Paris. "I'm having dinner with some leaders to discuss some security plans, and I want you to join me."

"Yes sir!" Kitty said maliciously, lying on her stomach, exposing her naked torso to the current British leader. Samuel didn't seem interested in the physical attributes of the lover at that moment. "Do you want something special for dinner, or before it?"

"No." Samuel went to the safe and opened it.

"I'm sure you're going to show the chancellor who's in charge." Kitty continued the little seducing game Samuel wasn't so interested.

"They know that, Kitty. I don't need to show it."

"Then why are you going to use it today?"

"Not to let anyone forget."

Samuel took out his own wand inside the safe. The one that took two arduous years to build. That left him with grotesque scars on his shoulder, arm, chest, neck and left him without the earlobe. Everything on the right side. Brands that almost completely destroyed the very beauty of which he was proud. He closed his eyes as he held the magical object and felt the power flowing through his body. The feeling was much better than any sex he could do.

Samuel was dressed in an elegant suit made by the best wizard tailor of the United Kingdom. He liked going to meetings with the heads of state flawlessly, like an aristocrat. He combed his long blond hair, looked at himself in the mirror, and pulled on his tie. He waited a few minutes for his lover to come down. Kitty wore a green dress with silver accents, wore her hair stuck and makeup on her face. Yes, she was very beautiful and young, but Samuel wasn't impressed.

Samuel took Kitty's hand and apparated to the underground hall where there was the network of flu that connected Ashford to Whitehall, where was the ministry of magic. He arrived at the place with a raised head, arrogant air, was received with all pomp of a head of state, although officially Blaise Zabini to be the minister of the magic.

"My lord!" An employee of the ministry led Samuel to the reception where the meeting with the dome would take place.

There was all the good and the best at the event: food, drink, music. Samuel "discussed" politics holding a glass with the best wine. He pursued politics that benefited pure-bloods, especially the rich ones. They celebrated the fact that the werewolves and vampires were practically extinct, of the centaurs having been lowered and taken from any coexistence of the said civilization. Samuel smiled, he agreed, but he bothered not to mention one of his two greatest obsessions.

"They went to Africa, as far as we know," said the French minister, referring to the refugees.

"What about Lopez?" Samuel asked.

"Unfortunately we have no safe information on where she is. We lost her trail after she fled from Egypt." Said one of the intelligence agents.

Samuel didn't hide the disgust. For weeks the news had been repeated. He tried to control himself, took a deep breath, then turned to the intelligence agent.

"What about the rebel cells?" He knew full well that Quinn Fabray belonged to one of the 'terrorist' cells operating throughout Europe.

"We've located some, but no catch, sir."

Samuel forced a smile. He looked at the intelligence agent and pulled out his wand. The agent died instantly. Seeing the body of the man of about 30 years on the ground, the members of the dome were frightened. They were afraid of the young dark wizard, who had proven in innumerable duels to be unbeatable. At least since Samuel was successful in building the supposed wand of the wands. Samuel smiled softly.

"Gentlemen..." he said softly. "We need more effective agents, or we're going to lose this war."

"But we won the war!" The Italian chancellor tried not to argue, only to panic at the look Samuel threw at him. "I mean, we took all the mudblood governments out of Europe. We won."

"Not while she breathes."

"Son." Zabini approached with the assurance of being one of the few for whom Samuel had respect and esteem. "Victories are numerous, and we are celebrating many of them here. The totality will come with time. Be patient."

Samuel nodded to his mentor and then to the peers.

"Let's continue the party!"


	19. Year 8 - part 2

Bungu was a peculiar city. Europeans refugee would use the word 'exotic' to describe the routines of the city. The largest construction of the city, with typical architecture of Angola, was a palace in the center of it, where was located the administration of the government of the country. There was the main square where the popular assemblies and main festivities took place. Around the administrative building and the central square lay the rest of the more or less standardized buildings in circular logic. The walls were painted with ornate designs typical of the African tribes originating in the region. The circular roof was thatched, reinforced with modern materials and magic. The streets were paved with rocks and there were spaces for the lawn to grow between the sidewalk and the buildings.

Trade in Bungu was modest. Although there was a common currency circulating across the continent, barter was still a recurring practice. A wand that cost, for example, six zamoas, could be used to buy products whose amount was of similar value if the two parties agreed to the procedure. Of course, wand shops were little popular among that population. Curiously, the most successful trader in the area sold ornamental articles for animagus. There was also the bookstore, the owl-mail, the warehouse, the bar, the bakery, the greenhouse, the healer's house, the literacy school, the hotel, two clothing stores and hats, the little Quidditch stadium - both for the local team, the Bungu Jackals, and for the Angolan national team - the department store, the sporting goods store, the train station connecting Bungu to Ouagadou, the broom shop and other transport facilities.

The Europeans weren't impressed with the brooms, but found the platô particularly curious, as it was called a kind of longboard magic-driven skateboard, much used to walk on the ground amid the savannah fields and deserts.

Bungu was a beautiful and organized city. It was green, ornate, that enjoyed a harmonious balance between commerce, administration and residents. Even though the distribution of income wasn't equal, there was no one in poverty in the city or millionaires. Since everything wasn't perfect, there were relations of power and many political disputes in Angola. The chancellor, for example, was a vain man with pretensions to assume the supreme post of the African Confederation. He managed the country with the ironwork, and he had little elegant ways of dealing with the opposition. The politician accepted the installation of the refugee camp near Bungu as a way to promote the image of humanist and benevolent, which would help in his political campaign.

The refugee camp began with 32 people, including Neville Longbotom and his wife. Almost two years later, there were just over 500 people who weren't just confined to the countryside. The Europeans circulated in Bungu, tried to obtain occupations in the commerce, to consume, to socialize. What to the refugees seemed to be the opportunity of a fresh start, for the locals, the white invasion of the former settler was no longer seen with good eyes.

Witches and wizards in the African community weren't immune to colonialist invasions rancid. The separation between sorcerers and "geemics" (correspondent to muggles) was made in colonization, the creation of countries to the delight of the invaders that moved with all the dynamics of the continent, the slave trade, social apartheid. All that was done among the geemics affected and much the African wizarding community, which needed to be isolated, when they used to live together. Rancidity hadn't faded, even after a century of the creation of the African Confederation, which took the decisions of the colonizing hands on the peoples of the continent.

Just an advent: Egypt and Morocco were the only countries that were 'immune' to European control, because they already had millenary organization and domination. They were also the last to join the African Confederation because of their strong historical ties to Europe.

While there were few refugees, the feeling was commotion and help. After all, those European, born geemic and half-bloods, were being expelled because of the supremacist movement that was spreading in Europe. Something had to be done. It was necessary to embrace them and also to show African greatness. When the number of refugees came to be equated with the number of citizens of Bungu, tensions appeared and the refugees were no longer welcome, so little tolerated in the region. After all: they were spoiling what was once harmonious and brought cultural novelties that the locals weren't used to.

...

Santana, Lily went up to Bungu by platô (Santana and Lily were loving the new transport). Some of the refugees were circling the city, and the unfriendly stares of them were visible. They went straight to Adila Amandi and Ebo Kodwo's house: the only completely red in the city.

"If it isn't the hippogriff and her beautiful wife?" Ebo greeted the visitors with a discreet smile and allowed the pair to enter.

For Angolan wizards, there were no long courtships. As soon as a couple decided to live together, it was already seen as married in the eyes of society, with all rights and responsibilities. The ceremony was only a formality performed for festive purposes and good luck. Therefore, in the eyes of the Angola and Bungu society, Santana and Lily were married and should be treated as such. Obviously, Santana and Lily were a little shy with the treatment, but they were already aware of the cultural and social custom.

The house was much larger inside. The room was cozy with very comfortable dark gray sofa set, whose main appliances were the radio and the phonograph. Adila, like most wizards in the world, had only seen a television or shop windows in major cities or when she was visiting a Muggle house. Beside the room was a library. Among the books, there were a number of objects that Adila and Ebo collected during their two-year voyage around the world. Adila received the author of the year award with the book resulting from such study. The house had still a good kitchen, two bedrooms a large bathroom. That is, the discreet luxury that the couple had conquered as famous researchers and in the work in the administration of Angola. They became diplomats and were currently at the forefront of the migration issue.

"So, Lopez, what do you think of the city?" Ebo asked with a heavy accent, trying to be nice.

"Bungu is very friendly. Lily and I have known some African countries in recent months, but this was the first African wizarding capital we know. "

"Traveling made all the difference, didn't it?" Adila commented, serving the guests with glasses of kissanguas. It was a local, secular drink made from pineapple. The longer the fermentation time, the higher the alcohol content.

"Your tips were precious ..." Lily replied as she smelled the drink and sipped a little. It was tasty, but a bit strong. She watched her girlfriend take a more generous sip.

"That's very good!" Santana praised.

"Yes, it's good, but take it easy. Kissanguas knocks down a person easily."Adila smiled.

"Your book was very useful in our travels." Lily continued the conversation. "It spared us from going through certain constraints, especially in these months we have been crossing Africa."

"Colonialists think the world is a great England!" Ebu teased, gaining a reprimanding look from Adila.

The gesture didn't go unnoticed by Lily and Santana. They were both in Angola a little over a week ago, and they had already realized what people were avoiding talking about: that the refugees were welcome as long as they didn't travel frequently to Bungu. It was ironic. The wave of migrants and refugees in the muggle world had a reverse sense in the wizarding world. But problems like ethnic and cultural tensions were similar. Angolans had a routine of their own and it was a fact that refugees, especially the more "colonialists" who didn't respect local customs, caused tensions. Hence the provocation of Ebu.

"I know it's a nuisance." Lily continued to exercise the diplomacy she needed to learn from the need for travel, as that wasn't exactly her girlfriend's best skill. "But we hope this situation will be resolved soon, especially now that we have come to try to contribute to the negotiations."

Santana shifted uncomfortably in her chair, because she still had no idea how to handle it, as people thought she would. When Adila and Ebo invited her and Lily to dinner, she hoped the subject wouldn't surface so soon.

"So? How did my book help you? "Adila was adept at trying to change the subject without really changing it.

"How clandestinely entering Japan was one of them." Lily brightened a little more.

"I don't teach any of this in the books!"

"But you signal all the checkpoints." Santana winked at her friend and took a few more kissanguas. "And Lily stole expensive kimonos so we could get into a party of fine grins."

"They made good money in Sudan!" Lily smiled.

"And if it weren't for your book, you would never know that a cherry wand was worth so much money on the Mexican market. We paid a guy with a wand we robbed in Japan to mislead an assassin sent by Evans as we crossed the border from Mexico to the United States through Arizona."

"Have you entered the country as clandestine and practiced theft?" Adila widened her eyes.

"Technically, we are internationally wanted bandits." Santana pointed out. "No one can get their heads up and get free without committing some crimes from time to time."

...

"The train is coming in a little while." Santana commented with Albus. "Are you ready?"

"It's about time." Albus checked the clock again.

"Do you think there was a problem? What did they find out about us?" Marley was fearful.

"They'll find out sooner or later, Marley." Albus sighed. "Santana and Lily here wasn't meant to reinforce the secret."

"What do you know I'm not?" Santana folded her arms.

"Look around you, San. This society isn't big."

Santana didn't have to look around to know that she was attracting glances. The years she spent traveling with Lily also taught her that people talk. Even though she and Lily were always traveling with other identities, there was always a time when people discovered who they really were and started talking too much. It was when the killers arrived.

"It's 12 this time, right?" Santana asked.

"Yes," Albus confirmed. "But we need to discuss some issues with the chancellor. The refugee camp is at the limit and we fear it can no longer be possible to keep our location safe."

"It costs nothing if someone here resolves to sell the location and safety details to Evans's allies." Santana completed.

"I know the people of the city aren't very happy about the situation, but nobody wants to be responsible for starting a war here."

"I hope you're right." Santana sighed.

"Adila said the idea of the Quidditch friendly will go off the paper. The chancellor agreed to organize the peace play. I think it will help ease the tension." Marley tried to sound optimistic.

"It would be nice to play a Quidditch match after a long time," Santana agreed. "But wouldn't this departure reveal the position of the camp?"

"The purpose may be that one." Albus sighed, leaving Santana worried. She knew her presence there was purely political, but then flicking and scrubbing the rest of the world was another story. "Look on the bright side: Lily will freak out when she finds out we have a green light to set up a team. This will make things a bit lighter. But I'm afraid it's just a temporary relief. We need effective measures for the well-being of the Bungu population and the refugees."

"Can I be frank with both?" Santana and Albus nodded to Ebo. "The chancellor is tempted to make it a real political propaganda. If I were you, I'd talk to Harry Potter and Hermione Granger about Plan B."

Santana nodded. She knew that, in the end, the problem of refugee camp security was because of it. Evans, Zabini, and the supremacists were barely fucking a bunch of half-breed and Muggle-born in the middle of the African savannah. The further these people were, the better. The problem was her and her closest allies. But Santana could only see two other alternatives: either to continue to live as a wanderer in the world, or to go straight into confrontation and solve this story.

The trio moved on to Bungu station and met the refugees as well as other workers who were there. They waited less than five minutes for the arrival of the transport. Santana was always amazed to see the African Express losing its camouflage effect and becoming clearer whenever the journey came to an end. The task was to receive the 12 new inhabitants of the refugee camp and the provisions collected especially for that population. The train stopped. First there was the landing. It was easy to identify the refugees: they were usually Caucasians among the black population who also landed at Bungu. There was a whole British family of four, three French women, one German, one Spanish, one Portuguese, one Italian, one Belgian, and a well-known figure of Santana and Albus.

"Welcome, brother!" Albus hugged James as Santana kept her distance. Despite everything that happened, James and she never managed to like each other. They never trusted each other.

"What kind of crazy trip is that?" James replied in a good mood. "What an incredible landscape. Do you believe that a dragon accompanied us during part of the trip? It was sensational and scary. What about this city? It's so cool and exotic! I don't understand your crying."

"I'll let you find out things with your own eyes. By the way, this is Ebo Kodwo. He and his wife, Adila, are our main intermediaries in the dialogue with the Angolan government."

"Whatever you need, talk to me and I'll be happy to serve you," Ebo said as he greeted Harry Potter's eldest son.

While the boys were socializing, Santana coordinated the other new arrivals as well as the volunteers from the camp. Along with the refugees, there were also provisions for the fields, such as grains, medicines, clothes, and new tents. They worked fast to empty the wagon destined for them. They placed everything on top of the plateaus, which, united and stretched by transfiguration, formed a platform to carry loads.

"I think we'd better go," Santana told the others. "It soon gets dark and we still have a lot of work to do to accommodate the newbies."

"She's always a charm, is not she?" James teased.

They left the platform and had to cross the city to reach the improvised road between the city and the countryside. On foot, it was an hour's walk. The time would stretch a little because of the charges. A group of adults approached the newcomers and said some offensive words in Portuguese. Something about which they shouldn't be there. The newly arrived Portuguese, who understood each comma, tried to react. He was promptly paralyzed by an unverified spell conjured by Santana. She then turned to the others.

"We are uncomfortable guests. So try not to get into a confrontation with our hosts."

The British man looked at her with some fear and institively embraced the eldest son who should have been nine. Albus lifted the Portuguese and led him floating with his wand while Santana continued to assist in carrying the supplements, while trying to explain the situation to newcomers.

"The refugee camp is already half the size of Bungu. Imagine a local population doubling in less than two years? This is what is happening here. We have another culture and it doesn't always agree with their culture. So the less problems we cause, the better."

"If there are problems, why stay here?" The British father asked.

"Because the African Confederation, among all the continental nations, was the only one that accepted to get refugees with the required security. The Angolan government was kind enough to accept the installation of the field in their country." Santana summarized the story. "European governments under supremacist domination even know that the field is in Africa, but not where exactly. It is a very large continent to look for, and Africans are well organized about migration. That's what keeps us safe for now."

"But you're going to protect us, right? My dad said you're super strong, you do magic with your barely hands", the little boy commented.

Santana looked at the child and then at his parents, who were out of sorts. The argument was not exactly new. She had heard similar things from other children in the field, the fruit of the stories their parents told about the girl of prophecy who was destined to fight the evil villain and save them all. It didn't mean it was easier to hear that kind of thing.

"Your parents are very brave too," Santana told the little boy. "It's not easy to get here. You must have had such an adventure."

"I'm a Slytherin, Lopez, don't think I sympathize with you," the woman said with bewildering sincerity.

"Well, at least you're honest and direct, like a good Slytherin." Santana smiled.

"We lived in a muggle neighbourhood in the Liverpool suburb. We were fine until Zabini decreed that wizards can no longer live integrated into Muggle neighbourhoods. That we should live only in totally wizarding quarters or in cities like Hogsmeade. My husband, as you can see, is a muggle. My eldest son is a squib. We have no place in my world and we have no place in my husband's world. Europe has taken over this policy. Where else would we go?"

"I'm sorry," Albus said as he listened to recurring stories. The newspaper clippings he received every week also helped keep everyone well-informed. "What about you?"

"I was born muggle," the Belgian replied. The same situation corresponded to the others, who waved at least two of the French.

"We're pureblood," one of them explained in a strong accent. "But people of the same sex can no longer get involved under the new laws. So we decided to join the rebellion. We talked to Rose Granger-Weasley and she said we would be more helpful in helping to protect the field and waiting for the offensive."

"You won't be prejudiced in the field," Santana assured her.

"We know." One of the French girls answered. "Everyone knows about you and Lilian Potter. It wouldn't make sense to accept this kind of prejudice in a place ruled by you."

"I do not rule anywhere. I'm a newcomer here, just like you are." Santana snapped. "I won't rule anything when this nightmare is over."

"In that case ..." said the muggle husband. "You are, in fact, the right leader to follow."

...

The winter in Corvallis was mild compared to other states of the country, but that didn't mean that the station didn't bring boredom. Especially in that year when the station had arrived earlier and more rigorously. Global warming or not, the fact is that the state had faced the hottest summer and now would need to survive one of the most rigorous winters in history.

Rachel didn't want to get out of bed. Her room's heater was broken. She won't die frozen because of the heated air that circulated around the house, but she couldn't run out of blankets either.

"We need to call the technician again from the air heater. The cold that comes in here is merciless." Rachel said to her husband.

Finn didn't answer. His magic couldn't make the machine work and he was highly frustrated with the cold weather and other things. Unlike Rachel, who was curled up in bed, he stared at the ceiling, as if it were the most interesting thing in the world. He slept on his back and had both hands behind his head and the blankets covering him from the waist down.

"Or we could sleep in the living room. We've lost a little more of freedom, but it's better than freezing here." Rachel continued the conversation, whether or not her husband would respond. Whoever does, consent. "That's right! I'm going to speak to my grandmother today. Do you agree?"

"Whatever..." Finn continued to stare at the ceiling.

"Don't forget that today you have that job interview with Joe to give you drum lessons. I made the biggest positive publicity about you yesterday. Have you seen Joe? He is the biggest hippie who missed the train of history. Can you believe it? Christian hippie selling necklaces with pendants from Jesus Christ on the balcony of the music school. He's not even going to call you if you're wearing your clothes, but he knows when someone has talent."

"What if your boss thinks I'm not good enough to teach drums? What can I do in this town, Rach?"

"You can take classes. You can learn how to fix cars, for example. You can start washing cars and in the meantime. You can work in the farms of the region, since you're good with plants. This is America, Finn. It's the land of opportunity, but only if you are willing to spend the sole of your shoes."

"Okay." Finn responded without intonation, without emotion. Rachel just wanted him to agree, so she would avoid arguments. She was tired of fighting.

Rachel counted to ten and jumped out of bed. She quickly took off her pajamas and put on her clothes to go to work. Rachel kissed her husband's lips before go sniffing anything in the kitchen. She would take care of a five-year-old in the morning and then teach in the afternoon before going to the evening meal. In the meantime, she would come home for lunch. And all this by bicycle. Thankfully Corvallis was a small town and the places she needed to go were all nearby.

The Thompsons' house was suburban, like Lauren Corcoran's. The father worked in the management of a supermarket while the mother had a part-time job. The child in question had chickenpox and couldn't go to school in those conditions, so Rachel spent the week until her mother got home from work. She didn't like dealing with children, she wasn't very good with them. She did it out of necessity. Rachel got to work with the atomic smile, was excited about the child, assured her parents that it would be okay. Then she switched on the television and the tablet and let the kids watch whatever they wanted while she sat on the couch and studied for a while. In the middle of the morning, she served a fruit to the kids.

It was a boring life. This was Rachel's own conclusion. But would she give up the bland and unprincipled journey in the near future to return to a tense field of battle? The most recent letter she had received from her sister took almost a month to get her hands on. A month of information lapsed in which Santana related a thousand concerns that Rachel was unwilling to face the stress. On the other hand, Santana had no moments of boredom traveling the world with her girlfriend. Rachel envied the fact that her sister already had her name in history, for good or ill, while Rachel would be forgotten.

Rachel returned home distracted. She was always more thoughtful when she felt the magical energy of her body accumulate. Whenever her hands tingled, she knew she needed to practice something, anything. She spotted Grandma's house. As she always did, she walked around the house toward the yard, where she used to leave her bicycle. Rachel did everything in silence this time. As she casually glanced out the window, she saw her grandmother in front of her sitting in the chair with two men in typically witty robes pointing wands at the old woman. Rachel swallowed the cry she was about to let go. She bent and bent her bike as quietly as she could. She was distressed, not knowing what to do. No American Auror, no person under Sue Sylvester's orders would visit the house that way. Soon, those could only be commanded by Samuel Evans.

Where was Finn? Rachel wondered as she panicked on the side of the house. She needed to do something, but what? She had not taken her wand to duel in two years. They were two of them and her grandmother was in the middle. Rachel took a deep breath. She tried to think of the best strategy. Call the police? Wait for Finn? She discarded the first option. These men could apparate with their grandmother at the slightest signal of the sirens. She also wasn't sure how much those men could expect. Worst of all, she had no wand, which meant that apparating was out of the question because she couldn't be accurate.

She circled through the house to the basement window. It was narrow and the lock was broken, but she was small and thin enough to pass through the opening. She squeezed a little, bruised herself a little, soiled her clothes, and got into the house. The service area was intact. A sign that men had no interest in looking for anything or had no time. Her wand was in a bookcase near the soap box. That simple. Rachel met hers, but not Finn's. Her in quotation marks, because her original beechwood wand and unicorn core was taken from her at Hogwarts outlet and she never recovered it, if it still existed. Rachel's current wand was a dragon-cedar with a simple, dull design.

There, from the basement, she decided whether to attack by aparating or to arrive sneaky. Both options seemed bad, but she didn't have much of a way out. Rachel thought a little better. The problem with apparition is that the spell leaves a soundtrack and causes a brief, faint flash. A skilled and attentive wizard could anticipate the movement. Decided by the discreet approach, she climbed the stairs, avoiding to step in the middle of it to keep from creaking. That was when she realized that Finn was lying on the floor. Again, Rachel swallowed the cry. She checked her husband's pulse quickly and was relieved that she was alive. She left him behind. She came crouched down from the glass. There was only one of them. Where did the other go? Rachel didn't care and attacked with everything she had.

"Stupefy!" Rachel hit the wizard.

Lauren Corcoran shouted. The other wizard apparated. The blow was wrong. Rachel threw the table against the man.

"Bombard!" The desk exploded, throwing shrapnel in all directions.

Rachel took the opportunity to reach out to her grandmother. She gripped the lady's arm firmly and apparated into the hallway. She held Finn and disappeared out of the house. They appeared again in the middle of the park at the edge of the city. Lauren vomited and then became hysterical.

"Rachel? Rachel? What is going on? Rachel? Those men! Those men!"

Rachel decided to make her grandmother faint. She couldn't think straight with the old woman screaming at full capacity of her lungs.

"Enervate." She leaned her wand on her husband, who awoke suddenly.

"What? Rachel! "Finn was scared. "Rach... death eaters found us."

"I know," she said sadly. "We just ran away from them."

"Where did it lead us?"

Finn was in a thin sweater and slippers. Grandma wasn't dressed better. They would freeze if they were exposed for longer.

"We are in the park next to the OSU farm. I couldn't think of a better place in a hurry."

"Thanks to Merlin you got us out of there." Finn stroked his wife's face. "But we have to get out of here."

"I have a better place." Rachel returned to hold her husband and grandmother out.

They went into the church the grandmother frequented, which was also closed at that time, and even cold, it was still better than being completely exposed to a cold below zero degrees °C.

"What did you see and hear before they hit you?" Rachel asked.

"They came by surprise. I didn't know much because soon I faced them and lost the duel. If there's anyone they should have talked to, it's Lauren."

Rachel agreed with her husband. They sat the old woman in the chair and Rachel woke her up. Lauren was calmer this time, or less freaked out, depending on the point of view. She looked at her granddaughter and Finn and could tell she was upset.

"Rachel? What does it all mean? Who were those men?"

"Grandma!" Rachel held the old woman steadily. "Grandma! Listen me! I can explain everything, but first I need to know what those men said to you. This is paramount."

Lauren shook her head and wiped a tear that slipped away.

"They said they were going to kill you and send your head as a gift to your sister if I didn't tell them where Santana was. But I don't know, Rachel. I don't know anything. Except she's travelling the world with her girlfriend." The old woman held her granddaughter's face. "What is going on? What does it all mean? Who were those men?"

Rachel looked at her husband and shook her head. Neither she nor Finn were the ones best suited to obliterate anyone. The oblivion spell was delicate and could cause damage if it wasn't well-executed. Worst of all, this was the second time Lauren had witnessed an incident involving wizards. This meant that the first erased memories could somehow be remembered.

"Grandma, do you remember when I said that me and my sister are real witches?" Rachel took the wand, conjured a lumos, accio and a small firework to exemplify.

"Jesus Christ!" Lauren was horrified. "Yes... of course I remember... Jesus Christ!" Lauren repeated. "Were those men such satan worshipers?" Rachel rolled her eyes and sighed. Why did everything that was different for religious people have to have relationship with satan?

"It has nothing to do with the devil, but they are in the service of someone close to that."

"Your sister... is she okay? And Shelby? If these men found us here... they may have found them too. "

"This I don't know to answer you now. I just hope they're all right." Rachel sat down next to her grandmother and took her hand.

"That can't be true..." Lauren twisted her face.

"Whether you believe it or not, it makes no difference. What you need to keep in mind is that it's not safer here for us anymore."

"All because of your sister, who got into trouble with dangerous people."

"Basically." Rachel sighed.

"Rach, I think we should talk to Shelby and try to get to Boston." Finn took the floor. "At least we have the auror support there."

"I hate to admit that you're right. But how are we going to Boston with death eaters in Corvallis? These guys attacked us in broad daylight! And this city is an egg size."

"Call the police." Lauren was pragmatic.

"Police wouldn't solve these issues, Grandma."

"Police solve things in my world. Well, I'm going to look for a phone number and complain about thieves breaking into my house."

Lauren stood up to find any phone. She knew that church and also people who lived in the neighbourhood. Rachel tried to go after the old woman. Finn stopped her.

"Let her talk to the police. That will give us a chance to leave with a minimum of organization."

"Okay." Rachel said defeated.

"You did very well today, Rach. I'm proud."

"I didn't want the war to follow us."

"I know."

"What will we do now? Boston and then, I don't know, New York?"

"How about Africa or Europe?"

"Finn, it's not this incident that's going to get me back."

"Santana and the others need us."

"They don't need. My sister prefers to see me safe than fighting. She told me that!"

"I see." Finn touched his wife's shoulder. "It's your choice and I respect you. Just as you should respect mine."

"Finn? What you mean?"

"I'll go back and fight."

...

Lily couldn't pay attention to Charles Danvers's lecture. It was he who was responsible for setting up the refugee team, in the friendly with the Bungu Jackals. The game was nothing more than a political advertisement. Lily knew they were being used. And? They had so many responsibilities that taking time for some fun wouldn't be so bad.

Charles Danvers was one of two professional Quidditch players on the field. He was the catcher of the Appleby Arrows and was making a brilliant championship, until it was enacted that Muggle-borns couldn't play professionally. Some players simply left the British teams and tried opportunities in markets outside Europe. Charles protested and paid the price. He fled not to be sent to Azkaban and went to the refugee camp.

Another professional refugee player was the Italian Alexandre Drimi. Italy was the second country after the United Kingdom and Eastern Europe to create a discriminatory state. Drimi wasn't an activist like Danvers, and went to the refugee camp after failing to reintegrate the Muggles. He was recognized by Rose Granger-Weasley as he begged for coins in Rome, and was sent to the refugee camp.

Lily saw Charles planning an attack move, but she didn't necessarily listen to him. She saw her glazed colleagues in the supposed tactical genius of the athlete. The team was formed by the two professionals. Also by those who played for the school teams, as was her case, Santana and James. Santana was with her girlfriend during the talk. Lily could see how the workouts were invigorating for Santana. But for herself? Her mind was too busy even for fun things like a Quidditch game.

The talk was ended and the team picked up the brooms to tactically train the positions in the impromptu Quidditch field (there were only goalposts in the more or less official distance). The titular scorers should make the play and the reserves pretend to be the opposing defense. Santana began the tactical training and passed the quaffle to Lily, who couldn't catch it. The movement was repeated again and again. Finally, Danvers chose to take Lily out of the day's workout. She rightly stated that she should drink water, solve problems, and return to training the next day.

"Is everything okay?" Albus asked his sister as she came down from the broom.

"Honestly, Al, nothing is right around here! It's all wrong!" Lily raged already taking off the protections, calling attention to who was watching the training. Among them, Padma.

The medibrux of the refugee camp followed the young woman's gaze. When she realized that the others had lost interest in Lily, it was her cue to go to the former student. Padma found Lily in the hall of the apartments, which were rooms built in one of the masonry houses, and caught up with her before Lily entered her bedroom.

"Hey, Lilian."

"Forgive me, Miss Patil, but I don't want to talk."

"You're no longer my student, you don't need such formalisms with my name." Padma tried to be gentle. "I've noticed that you've been kinda turned off in the last few days. If you need someone to talk to, let off steam."

"Miss... I mean, Padma, with all respect, but the problem I have is not solved by a conversation."

"Maybe you don't need a friend, especially one who is your mother's age. But if you want the help of a professional, I guarantee the confidentiality regime."

"Why do you think I should have professional help?"

"You look pale... paler than normal, I mean. You're down these last days and this morning I saw you rushing to vomit. Clearly you are having difficulty concentrating, for not even the Quidditch you love so much has been able to catch you. Lilian, if you don't want to talk, fine, but I think you should come with me to the infirmary. Let me run some tests to see if you're okay."

Lily thought well of a patient Padma. In one thing the healer was right: she didn't feel well and might need some help. Lily nodded and accompanied one of the original members of Dumbledore's Army to the other masonry house, where the hospital was set up. The hospital consisted of three rooms: the infirmary (the largest space) with some beds, a washbasin, and a small room that served for Padma Patil and the other two healers to talk to the patients. The relationship established in that space was professional, despite the precariousness.

Lily sat down in the patient chair, and Padma assumed the role of a doctor.

"Before I examine you, could you tell me what you're feeling?"

Lily started to tighten the tips of her fingers, looked down, she was nervous.

"This is very embarrassing."

"Why?"

"My period is late and I think I need a pregnancy test."

Padma was shocked as Lily prevented a tear from flowing down her face.

"Lilian, I know this is none of my business, but is everything okay between you and Santana?"

"I didn't cheat on Santana, if that's what you're thinking. We... we use a potion."

"What causes transfiguration in the womb to change the genitals?"

"Yes."

"Oh Lilian!" Padma was shocked. "How did you get it? These potions are forbidden in our country and for a good reason. They can cause serious damage to the woman's body."

"We found a guy in Sudan who sold exotic potions, including this kind of stuff... we were curious, that's all."

"Okay. How long have you had sex under the potion?"

"It was before we got to the camp. It's going to be four weeks."

"Was it an one time thing?"

"Yes, it is."

Padma got up and reached for an empty glass on the shelf with medicine, jars, and potion supplies.

"I need a sample of your urine. Drink water, urinate a little in this glass and come back here for some more tests."

Lily thought this couldn't be too hygienic or embarrassing. The glass and certainly sterilized. The refugee camp was very precarious, but hygienic conditions remained in that makeshift hospital. Lily drank water. Two cups. She went to the lavatory of the ward, did her business, and carried the glass a full third back to Padma. The healer smiled, put on gloves, and picked up the flask.

"Is this like those Muggle tests?"

"The principle is similar, but we are a little more efficient. You can find out about pregnancy a day after conception." Padma picked up a bottle of prepped potion and showed it to Lily. "If urine doesn't change color, we will have to consider other problems with the symptoms that you present. But if the urine turns blue, I need to see you and Santana here tomorrow."

"OK."

"Ready?"

"No, but I need to know."

Padma nodded and mixed the potion with urine. Immediately the glass was as blue as the colour of Angola's sky. Lily closed her eyes. She became confused, sad, cheerful, anxious, panicked, all at the same time. It was obvious that she thought of building a family with Santana, having kids, biological or adopted. She didn't care much about it. But she never thought that they would start a family in a situation of war and without even marrying or planning it.

"Congratulations, you're expecting a baby." The healer smiled awkwardly. Padma could feel the weight of Lily's responsibility.

"It was just to be an experimentation... I made Santana drink the potion because I was curious. Oh God! It wasn't to be taken serious." Lily blurted out.

"Well, Lilian, the body doesn't know the difference when it's an experimentation or when it's for real. If so, there wouldn't be so many unplanned pregnancies."

"What should I do?"

"At this time? My suggestion is that you talk to Santana and have both come back here tomorrow. I imagine it will not be an easy conversation. The situation we are in is complicated, stressful, and the role that Santana plays in this war seems to make everything else impossible. On the other hand, always keep in mind that a baby is good news. And we all need good news."

Lily left the place. She saw that the practice was over. Not only that: there were many glances in her direction, but no one ventured to approach or ask what was going on. Lily watched Santana in the distance, still clad in Quidditch protection gear. They exchanged glances in the distance and Lily gestured that she would be in their room. She entered the building with rooms and opened the door of hers. Lily and Santana's "apartment" was Spartan. Nothing but a bed, a coat rack, and two backpacks in the corner of the room. These backpacks that had the world in them: tent, clothes, magic items and objects, medicines, toiletries, brooms and everything else they needed to travel the world.

The bed was made, with the blankets folded, the shoes tidied up in a corner, the towels hanging: all arranged in a touch of magic. Lily sat down on the side of the bed and took off her boots. She sighed and ran her hand over her belly for the first time, knowing there was an embryo there. Lily looked again at the Spartan room and tried to imagine a crib in that place. It was impossible. For god in heaven and Merlin on earth, she didn't want to have a baby in a refugee camp. She started to cry.

"Lily?" Santana came into the room and went straight to her girlfriend. She took her hand and sat down beside it. "What's wrong?" She said as she hugged Lily to comfort her.

"It's all wrong, San. It shouldn't happen like this."

"What shouldn't happen like this?"

"Have a child, San. It shouldn't be now and not here!"

"Have a child? Babe, are you pregnant?"

"And it's all your fault!"

"For Merlin!" Santana whispered in astonishment. "The potion..."

Santana hugged Lily harder to assure her girlfriend that she was there and that she would always be there. She kissed Lily's head as the redhead cried. If she could, she would cry too. But in that scenario, she'd have to stay firm as a rock for both. Better: for the three of them.

"It must be a curse of Lilians," Lily said quietly after a few minutes of stillness.

"How?" Santana released Lily from her embrace, allowing herself to face her girlfriend's red, tearful face.

"It must be a curse. My grandmother became pregnant at the same age as me, and in the middle of a war. Does that mean we're all going to die and let our orphaned kid alone?"

"Don't you dare think about it. This Lily here." Santana touched her girlfriend's chest with the tip of her index finger. "It will have a very different destiny from her grandmother."

"How can you be sure?"

"Because now I have a very good reason to do away with that bastard and all his troop."

...

"This is absurd!"

Hermione raged at Harry, Ginny, Ron, Luna and Draco. She was furious with the meeting she had had with the supreme mugwump Babajide Akingbade. It was recalled that although the man in charge of the supreme organ of the wizarding world is a sympathetic forwarder in the cause of resistance and an old friend of Albus Dumbledore, Mr. Akingbade was still a politician. He denied imposing stronger actions beyond sanctions on European governments. Hermione thinks the crisis administration period with sanctions had already passed. Stronger action was needed to secure the rights of refugees.

"We can sort this out, Mione." Ron tried to be positive.

"Granger's right. It's not possible to resume the ministry of magic without outside help." Draco crossed his arms and rolled his eyes. As much as he had deep respect for Harry and Hermione, he couldn't help thinking that Ron was such an idiot. "Akingbade turns a blind eye to our guerrilla actions, but they aren't enough."

"The problem is that Evans apparently rebuilt the elder wand. What I don't understand is how he got one." Ron scratched the thinning entries of his hair.

"We've already had demonstrations that he's really powerful with the wand, but we don't have proof that she's like Dumbledore's," Hermione grunted. "Even if Evans made another wand with the same characteristics, it wasn't how the things works."

"It's said that he made a wand with thestral hair core and used a dragon as a furnace. That's how he got those scars," Luna said with her usual calm.

"Luna, please..." Ginny grunted.

"The wand is powerful," Draco confirmed. "And he only obeys him. That Evans has blood on his hands, everyone knows. What is not known to what extent to make him affected by death to the point of seeing such creatures."

"Anyway, with a wand or without a wand, if we drop Zabini and Evans, the rest of Europe will fall like dominoes." Harry theorized.

"Evans is currently the best protected wizard in the world. The work that Zabini and the organization behind them were simply extraordinary and organized." Draco shook his head. "Anyway, any political situation will provoke what we need: a popular uprising. We need it."

"Lopez is not ready," Harry said with conviction. "Nell said she has grown a lot but is still a very timid and hesitant leader. We need a little more time."

"I've always been against this story of Santana and Lily spending all this time away." Hermione shook her head. "That was very late. We could have prepared Lopez earlier and even faced Evans before he became a complete dark lord."

"How could we know? Witches are complex", Luna mused. "We need to consider the paradoxes. We forced situations from the beginning trying to manipulate a prophecy and all we got was worse."

"Are you suggesting we should let things go loose?" Hermione snapped.

"I'm suggesting that we should leave Lopez alone and rely a little more on her decisions. How Dumbledore respected you Harry!"

"I've been driven and manipulated from the day one, Luna," Harry snapped. "I only acted on my own when Dumbledore died. Even so, I did exactly what he anticipated."

"What I mean, Harry, is that no one ever gave you a bureaucratic list of tasks as we did with Lopez. You were led, but you also acted on your own conscience, with Hermione's brain and with our help. You should give the same opening to the new generation. Let Lopez and our kids surprise us."

Harry exchanged glances with his wife. Ginny came over and patted her husband's hair.

"Can I talk to you privately?"

Harry nodded and left the room where he was with his friends, heading for a balcony that had the beautiful winter view of the River Liffey. They appreciated the landscape for a minute. Harry hugged his wife and kissed her cheek.

"Glad you got me out of there. I needed to get some air."

"I know."

"Do you think Luna is right? What are we being too controlling? Too political?"

"We forget that our kids are adults, Harry. We are getting old, too attached to the rules we have created ourselves. They have another worldview, other ways of settling things. We already guide them, educate them, give them all the love we could. Now what we have to do is trust our work and support them."

"It's easier to do this with James and Albus. But with Lily? My daughter will always be a little girl in my eyes."

"Lily is a grown-up woman. She's strong, determined, intelligent and loyal."

"I know. I couldn't be prouder of our girl."

"Harry..."

"What?"

"Lily is not a girl anymore, she's a woman."

"I know."

"Do you? Did you make Santana and Lily travel around the world to protect the cause or Lily?"

"Ginny…"

"I've always knew that you did it to keep Lily out of this war using Santana as excuse. You knew that no matter what, Santana was powerful enough to protect our daughter, even with assassins on the heels of them. I never said anything because I was too selfish in wanting to see Lily safe. Only things got complicated. The game changed. Santana need to be in the front line of this war in the worst moment possible."

"How…"

"Our daughter is pregnant. It's Santana's."

Harry ran a hand through his gray hair, pulling them back, revealing the famous scar. The first thought that went through his head was not the satisfaction of being a grandfather, but how he was going to get Lily out of the field to hide her somewhere else?

...

Rachel didn't cry. She decided she wouldn't shed any more tears because of her husband's decision. She left Boston's airport with Shelby and Lauren without saying a word. She was angry at her husband for choosing to engage in a war waged on another continent. But she was also angry with herself for feeling so lost.

"I hate it," Lauren grumbled with her daughter. "It was like that whenever your father embarked to serve. It was a relief when he was retired from the navy."

"I remember when I was a kid and dad was home. He would take us to those picnics with other military families. They were fun."

"Nothing but momentary smiles and relieved."

"Can we not talk about war?" Rachel complained about the back pack.

"It's kind of hard to avoid, dear," Shelby snapped. "You have a husband in the war now. I have a daughter who is the main target of this whole mess. Not talking about it is worse. I say from experience."

"I still can't believe this is all true, Shelby." Lauren shook her head. "This story of Santana being the main character of a prophecy... your father always felt that there was something wrong with her."

"My dad thought there was something wrong with Santana because she's a half-Latina with dark skin. There's nothing wrong with her, or Rachel. Not about that."

Shelby turned to the window, watching the fine metropolis pass before her eyes. As much as she liked the excitement and charm of New York, her life in Boston was better. She worked at a school with a better arts program, the salary was better, and she didn't have to do some gigs to pay rent and feed herself. The witch community in the state was basically concentrated in Salem, and she had an exclusive auror taking care of her. David was a man of 38 years, divorced (which was rare in the wizarding world), without kids. In short, he was a few years younger than Shelby. But so what? It happened, they matched, and she was happy with her boyfriend for a year and half. Maybe wizards would even make her type.

Shelby parked the car and was surprised to see none less than Sue Sylvester waiting in front of her house with David by her side. Sue showed up a few times for visitors, but there was always some reason. Usually she brought letters and news from Santana or Juan. So every time Shelby saw the old Auror friend who had been with her for so long, it was an event. Shelby hugged her auror friend before briefly kissing David. Shelby made some presentations before they all went into the house and settled into the living room.

"Can I get you anything, Sue?"

"Whiskey, on the rocks."

"At ten in the morning?" Lauren asked.

"Just a glass, I'm on duty."

"Depending on what you bring today, maybe I'll join you." Shelby smiled nervously.

"Then I suggest getting the bottle." Sue handed the letter to Shelby.

Shelby took the note addressed to her. As expected, it was news of her older daughter. As she could never hope, those news were ... Shelby couldn't figure out what she felt as she read the words. She thought she needed glasses, that she was reading wrong, or that the ticket was still coded. She took the bottle and poured herself.

"Honey, what is it?" Lauren asked anxiously. Rachel was silent in the corner of the room, in expectation.

"That can't be possible. How?" Shelby was really confused.

"What is it, mom?" Rachel was no longer hiding her anxious.

"Lily is pregnant and here she says that her kid is Santana's. How is that possible? She fertilized the egg or what?"

"Oh!" Sue laughed. "Santana really had the guts to drink that potion! That's unbelievable."

"Potion?" Lauren was even more confused.

"Transfiguration." Sue explained as if it was the most obvious thing in the world. "The one that could transfigure the genitals. Sometimes it also transfigures the inner organs. Everyone knows about this potion, but not everyone has the courage to actually experiment with fear that some things will be... well... permanent. But that wasn't Santana's. Apparently, she just needed to do the job."

"No matter how it happened... I just want to kill Santana right now!"

"Could someone explain to me what's going on?" Lauren spoke louder to be noticed. She was nervous about that conversation. When Rachel said she and Santana were witches, Lauren spent a lot of time imagining that it was a Wickan girl thing.

"Santana was irresponsible, and now I'm going to be a grandmother, you're going to be great-grandmother and Rachel will be Auntie. All in the midst of an unprecedented crisis with murderers on our heels." Shelby drank the whiskey. "I'm going to kill Santana!"

…

The hawk flew over the forest area in northern France near the border with Germany. It spotted the hut and went down to the small building lost in the bush. iT perched on the roof and waited, meticulously taking care of every move. iT waited more than an hour when a man apparated near the house. He was a man in his early fifties, kind of charming, with a beard, long hair and black clothes. But, he didn't look well, as if he was in a fight before apparated there. The hawk flew to the window and watched the man sitting in the chair, his hand on his chest, as if he were catching his breath.

"Did you bring it?" The man said to the hawk.

The animal flew out the window and went to the top of a tree. It picked up a small packet between its claws and flew back into the house, dropping the parcel on the man's lap. Then, it began to turn into a woman again. Then, before the man was the beautiful young woman who was exactly the same age as his daughter. Juan Lopez had no embarrassment in observing the girl's beautiful body, firm breasts, fine muscles, thick, shapely legs, pubic hair.

"I see you have kept the promise." Juan looked at the ring inside the package.

"It wasn't easy to get it from the centaurs. This is of great value to them." Quinn looked around the hut in search of some piece of clothing or cover. Juan brought nothing this time, which made her uneasy. She walked to the darker corner of the room and folded her arms. "I hope you have a good reason for wanting this ring, Juan. It's not being easy to keep the centaurs at our side. If they discover that I have stolen their royalty free, they will abandon the cause."

"I know. But this is a powerful ring that may be better used by us than by the centaurs."

"How do you intend to use it exactly?"

"A direct attack. At the best opportunity. Before Santana arrive."

"Santana is coming to Europe?" Quinn asked with a thread of hope. She hadn't seen her best friend for almost three years.

"Not yet, but she will soon. In fact, I received interesting news from the high command. News that motivates me not to let her come to Europe any time soon."

"What news?"

"I'm going to be a grandfather."

"Santana is pregnant?" Quinn's heart skipped.

"No, Lily is. And Santana is responsible." Juan said matter-of-factly, even knowing Quinn and Santana about the past, and that certain things hadn't been overcome. In fact, he insisted on giving the news to Quinn. "My daughter is going to build a family now, and it's about time to you move on, Fabray."

Quinn was trying to move on, even in the midst of a war. Since she recognized three years ago in a hotel's bathroom that she was Santana's second choice, not matter what, Quinn tried to move on. She tried to relate to others emotionally and sexually. She tried with men, women, people of close and even older ages. Quinn found sexual pleasure with some of them, but she couldn't connect emotionally with any.

Juan approached Quinn, as he had once done. He touched the young woman's arm with the back of his forefinger and stroked it lightly, as if inviting her. Quinn uncrossed her arms. The older man now caressed one of her breasts in the same way. He didn't seem to be in a hurry. He, himself, worked hard at the front line of the war. He was a healer when he needed to be one, and he was a soldier as well. Juan learned to work alone most of the time, going to dirty places in search of information that could help with the cause and thus save his own daughter. He himself never stopped loving Shelby, but he could never really stay with her. It was the frustration of his life. The war was solitary, and sometimes he sought solace in the bodies of other women on the loneliest nights since the wars started.

Quinn was one of them. They got involved one night six months ago, after drinking together while they exchanged war information. Quinn felt miserable and Juan, lonely. They had Santana in common to connect them, they talked about the chosen one and drank more. It just happened.

There, it would happen again. Quinn let the man touch her. Juan touched her breasts and tried to kiss her mouth, but Quinn refused.

"Did you forget I don't kiss?" She'd promised herself that she would just kiss someone she really loved.

It wasn't a problem for Juan. He kissed her neck, caressed her breasts with his hands. He knelt before her and placed one of her legs over his shoulders. He licked her pussy. Quinn, propped against the wall, began to gasp for breath. She had to admit that older men and women knew good tricks, and she was having a good time. It had been more than a month since she had sex. When he felt she was near orgasm, he stopped stroking with his tongue. He got up, made Quinn turn around and bend slightly. With her hands against the wall, Quinn felt the penetration. The older man hugged her from behind, kissing her neck, holding one of her breasts in one hand and pressing her clit with the other. Meanwhile, he gave her soft thrusts, taking advantage of the young, hot, wet, tight vagina. Until his hands gripped her waist tightly. The movements became fast and strong. Juan cum inside Quinn. She also enjoyed it.

Juan stepped back and sat down in the chair next to him, still exposed. He massaged himself a little, relaxing the post-coital hard on. Quinn watched the older man touch himself and felt guilty. Between all the men, she had fair sex with Santana's father... again. If her best friend knew, she might not want to talk to Quinn any more.

"Are you okay?" At least he had the decency to ask.

"Yes."

"Sorry that I cum inside."

"I'm going to take an anti-pregnancy potion, don't worry. I always do after… with men."

"Thank you." Juan finally stood up and composed himself. "I have something for you." He reached for the bag on the desk and pulled out some ziplocks with hair and ID tags. "It wasn't easy to get this material. I need to find a team that is willing to risk a direct attack without Potter's interference."

"You want to do that on the backs of the bosses? You're crazy."

"Someone has to be."

"But if you fail and stay in their hands, Santana will suffer and do some shit."

"Yes, she's going to suffer, but she's going to be a mother. Her priority changed. It's Lily and her kid now. But she's my little girl, and I'm capable of dying for her. Are you in?"

Quinn thought for a moment. There are follies and follies. She would be willing to make some, but her rationality and sense of preservation told her that it was best to be prudent.

" **N** ot this time."

"That's fine."

Quinn picked up the packages and scanned the names. They were biological samples of some people who held privileged positions within the Ministry of Magic. Many resistance groups used to use polijuice to circle cities and wizarding quarters for information, but joining the Ministry of Magic or other public agencies in other countries was a complicated task. All employees, without exception, had to pass a queue and undergo 'finite delight' by security guards. Think of it as muggle metal detector systems and credential check.

"May I know what your plan is?"

"Evans likes parties. He's a vain peacock. I just need to find one."

"Don't you think it's too risky?"

"Yes, but I have to do it before Santana returns to Europe. You can take these samples to your group and think what to do about them. Either way, it's a useful feature that will allow you to stick to some important locks."

"Thanks."

"I will be without communication for the time being, for the sake of the cause, so..."

"I won't tell anyone."

"Thank you."

"Just one more thing, Fabray."

"What is it?"

"This between us..."

"It was just sex. I needed some, you needed some. No drama."

"It's fine to me. But what I said about you moving on is true. You are a very beautiful and intelligent girl. You shouldn't give up having a boyfriend or a girlfriend, of trying to be happy, despite this war. This sex… it feels good now, but it's empty. I care about you and I wish you happiness. Santana certainly wants the same for you."

Quinn nodded, but she wasn't really worried about it at the time. Santana could have decided to play house with Lily. She chose Lily all the way. Quinn had other goals. She took Juan's wand on the table and touched her own head. Her body began to subside, feathers sprouting on her delicate skin, arms turned into wings. The hawk was back. The bird of prey flew out the window carrying some plastic bags in its claws. The material would certainly give some maneuvering power to the cell to which it belonged. It was time to think about how to act.

...

"Mail!" Albus knocked on the door of Lily and Santana's bedroom.

The sister answered with the face of a few friends. Lily had lightly messy hair, wore a plain sweater and jeans (which she said she would wear even when it was possible).

"Were you taking a nap in the middle of the afternoon?" Albus frowned. "Really?" Lily was never the type of person who sleeps during the day.

"Couldn't you have left with Santana?"

"Here says your name, not hers. Besides, it's Mom's letter."

Lily took the letter from her brother's hand and closed the door in his face. Albus was neither begging nor offended. He opened the door again and entered the room without ceremony. There was no risk of confronting an improper situation or interrupting something, since Santana was in the camp training some duels. The room was a mess, the result of Lily's discomfort that morning.

"It's all right?"

Lily frowned as she read the letter, which made Albus a little apprehensive.

"Dad wants to see me out of here and hide in some hole. And Mom made an embroidered card and sent me this bib" She showed the nice card written 'Welcome to the family' with the Gryffindor symbol and a broom. The bib was red and gold as well.

"Little pressure is nonsense!" Albus laughed. "Imagine if my nephew or niece becomes a deserter like Hugo, who went to Hufflepuff and still hates Quidditch?"

"This is our side of the family. The other mother's side is well inclined to Slytherin."

"Santana was never a real Slytherin."

"But she's proud to have represented the house. Besides, Rachel was a Slytherin, and their mother would be one for sure. Not to mention Quinn Fabray."

"What's Quinn Fabray got to do with it?"

"She's Santana's family, no matter how stony the history between them." Lily paused. "You know, Al? San and I are talking. Dreaming, in fact, of a normal world. In this world, Rachel would be the godmother and you would be the godfather."

"Really?" Albus grinned.

"Yes. So? Do you accept the assignment?"

"I would love to be the godfather of that pretty little thing in your belly!" Albus hugged his sister and spun her around.

"Enough, Al, or I'll puke on you!" Lily laughed.

Albus smiled and tucked a lock of his sister's red hair behind her ear. He loved Lily. He was always a lot closer to her than to James. It made perfect sense for the brothers to stand together at that moment.

"Do you think this baby will be cute?" Lily asked, bringing both hands to her belly.

"Are you nutts? You and Santana are gorgeous. Imagine a little baby with Santana's tan skin and your green eyes? It will be breathtaking."

"It would, wouldn't it?" Lily smiled.

For the first time in days she smiles openly as she imagines the child in her womb. The weeks since she discovered her pregnancy were dramatic. It began with Padma's discovery and examinations. The healer verified that the potion didn't cause damage in Santana, and that the pregnancy followed the normal course. Padma anticipated that at least the next two months would be difficult because of the nausea and discomfort caused by the adjustment of the body the new life that would arrive. Santana and Lily each made letters telling the news to their respective parents: both were just a decoded note and sent with the seal of urgency. They also discussed the possibility of them leaving the refugee camp. Santana wanted Lily to go to Kohadjo, where she could stay under the protection of Sue Sylvester and receive the assistance of Shelby and Rachel. Lily, for her part, even agreed that the refugee camp wasn't the best place for a child to be born, but she would only leave if Santana leaves too. The debates between them were numerous and rarely reached consensus.

"Hi, Lil. Hey Al. "Santana entered the room, interrupting the conversation between the siblings.

"San, I told that to Al." Lily smiled.

"Oh!" Santana frowned. "So?"

"I accepted, 'comadre'."

Albus gently hugged Santana, who returned the gesture with a sincere smile. Santana considered Albus as her best male friend and knowing that he accepted to be her child's godfather was reason to celebrate. But not now. She had things to do.

"Lil, I'm going to Bungu to get the final details on the Quidditch game and sort out some things about the camp. Then, I'll have lunch with Adilah and Ebu. Don't you want to go with me?"

"Can I come, too?" Albus forced a smile.

"Only if it's to stay as a lookout at the door." Santana patted her brother-in-law's arm.

"You never pay well for this job." It seemed that Albus' good mood could not be shaken, which was a great change.

Albus nodded to his sister-in-law and left the room, giving the girls privacy. Santana kissed Lily sweetly, then straightened. They met Neville and James outside the apartments. Santana gave some quick instructions to Hugo and Marley (the young couple liked to feel important). Soon the small group flew to Bungu on brooms. Air travel was faster than on the platôs. It was also more pleasing, though it didn't please the more radical villagers about African traditions.

They came down from the brooms in front of the central palace. Santana introduced herself, as she always had to do to the doorman on a protocolary matter of respect to the guardian. The interior decoration of the palace was full of sculptures of animals typical of the region worked in straw and clay. The magic made the sculptures make slight movements. The lion, for example, would open its mouth as if it were roaring. They were so beautiful that there wasn't one person who didn't feel enchanted.

The secretary greeted them in the inner courtyard and asked to wait. In Angola it was considered a good education for the guest to demonstrate humility and to wait for the call of the chief, even though they were exercising good British punctuality. Santana and Lily sat side by side on a bench and waited holding hands. Sometimes they exchanged little strokes, like a kiss on the hand, a touch on the face, the straightening of a lock of hair. They also made small casual remarks about the meeting, almost completely ignoring the three men who accompanied them. Neville tried to turn his attention elsewhere, but to James it seemed impossible not to witness the interaction between his younger sister and the girl he detested.

The secretary announced to the group that Chancellor Lugonu Mbaya would meet them at that moment. The small group entered the office pompous and comfortable. Santana, who was at the helm of the group, was the first to greet the Angolan leader.

"How's your health, Mr. Neville?" The chancellor asked.

"It's very good, thank you for the consideration." Neville forced a smile as he practiced the initial protocol rites. The greetings always happened between the leaders and it was considered friendly to ask about health in the first place. "And your health, boss Lugonu? How are you?"

"Not so good. I woke up with pain in my feet and I had to summon the healers of the city."

"Oh, I sincerely hope it gets better."

"Thank you. Now let's sit down, shall we? "

Santana was doing her best to be polite and not to intervene. What she wanted was to get some satisfaction on issues that bothered her a lot about the political use of the Quidditch game and the tensions between the people of Bungu and the inhabitants of the refugee camp. Her party sat on the right side of the conference table where Lugonu occupied the headboard, as a host and also a judge. On the left were the people who worked in the study.

"Mr. Longbottom." One of the secretaries began to go to the point that interested those present. "I would like to inform you that it is all confirmed for the friendly game between the refugee team against the Jackals. Let's broadcast the game for the whole of Africa..."

"Wait!" Santana interrupted, causing Neville to gasp. "What do you mean, you're going to broadcast the game to all of Africa? The purpose of this event was to promote fellowship among the people of Bungu with the refugees. Making this public would jeopardize the secret of the location of the camp. That could put us all in danger. You're going to expose me to the whole world!"

"The location of the campo will be kept confidential, Mrs. Lopez. We guarantee it" said one of the secretaries.

"Without transmission there will be no game!" Lugonu said.

"Of course there will be game." Neville picked up the attention for himself. "It would be a big disappointment for the people in the camp. They need a little fun and esteem. We are very grateful for Mr. Lugonu's hospitality and we understand that it's a way to thank all of you."

"We are very grateful for the hospitality." Santana spoke again, trying to control herself so as not to kill the old teacher. "Don't doubt it. Nor do I doubt your ability to secure the secret of the location of the camp. Even though it's practically on the side of Bungu."

"So what's the problem, Mrs. Lopez?" The secretary questioned.

"It's not correct to make a spectacle of it. We want the game, understand this, but how do we match it with an image that can't be true?"

"Not always fidelity to the real makes people good. The illusion is part of life." The secretary responded by trying not to lose patience with the young idealist.

"As a matter of fact," James agreed. "No one wants to look like a wretch, Lopez."

"What Santana means..." Neville tried to ponder once more. "It is that if we get a wrong image, it can cause significant losses for our people. What we were allowed to produce on the outskirts of the country is not enough to keep us from giving. We are dependent on the charity and generosity of every African people and we don't want to pass on an image that in any way can be offensive. As you know, Mr. Lugonu, population growth in the countryside is commensurate with the hardening of extremist policies in Europe. We didn't want this to happen, but it's the reality we face. We know that this causes problems here in Bungu and we are sorry for the clashes and nuisances."

"My father, Harry Potter, authorized me to speak for him," James said with some pomp. "He agrees that the best for our hosts will be the best for us."

"In that case." The secretary turned his attention to James. "We want a list of possible important guests from you by tomorrow. We'll have radio and the press. All, of course, working under stealth. No one can mention the location of the refugee camp."

"Are you going to open the stadium for people from other cities?" Santana was horrified.

"Yes. And also for the authorities and journalists."

"Of course, this game could bring an exponential improvement in camp donations if it brings the expected result." The secretary smiled uneasily.

"What would that be?"

"One that satisfies all."

Santana left the meeting foaming with rage. Not just her. Lily was shocked by her own posture. Neville said goodbye to the young people to accompany the politicians at a luncheon where he was promised to show the details of the organization. The girls and James were kindly invited out of the palace, for they would have nothing else to do there.

"What was that?" Lily shoved her older brother into the middle of Bungu's central square. "Who gave you the right to speak for my father?"

"I have that right. Who do you think Daddy trusts to bring all these people here? If I do the most important job, obviously I can speak for him."

"The most important job?" Santana questioned. "All you do is put the refugees on the express in Morocco! You're not risking your neck like the others in Europe, not even working the field like a convict. You have a comfortable life in Morocco with your girlfriend and fuck the rest. I don't even know what hit your head to get here."

"If they're refugees, it's your fault, Santana." James countered.

"My fault?"

"You screwed up everybody's life. I'm a marketer, Albus should start his career as an Auror and Lily should be shining on a Quidditch pitch. But because of you, I'm far from my business, Albus is babysitting refugees, Lily is pregnant, and we all have to be hidden as if we were bad guys! You ruined this family. You ruined everyone's life just by existing!"

"You should get out of here, James," Lily said in a low tone that even frightened Santana. "Get your stuff and go back to Morocco at the next train."

"Too bad you don't give me orders, little sister. I love you and I'm so sorry you're stuck with this girl because of a stupid prophecy."

Lily punched her brother's nose. Then she turned her back on his, pulling her girlfriend's arm in the process. Santana was in shock. Except for James's accusations, because she always considered him an asshole. What bothered her was the hint of a prophecy. Which one? Santana no longer had the stomach to have a friendly lunch with the couple Adila and Ebo, but she still had to consider them. She passed the well-known red house to justify not staying at the meal, but Adila didn't let the other couple leave.

"You can't show up to your people with that weeping face," Adila argued. "Use the library and talk. Just don't leave here like this."

Santana hugged her friend and thanked her silently for the help. She and Lily entered the famous library of Adila, one of the world's renowned young wizards. Lily sat in the chair as Santana leaned against the door.

"What prophecy is that your brother referred to?" Santana asked in a crying voice.

"It's not important, San. You should let it go."

"No Lil. I need to know. If it concerns me, I have that right."

"The prophecy was more respectful to me than to you. It said that my destiny was to fall in love with the chosen one, to have kid and everything."

"You stayed with me because of a stupid prophecy?" Santana's stomach wrapped in sickness.

"No! I've been attracted to you since day one, and I had no idea I had a prophecy involving my name. Trouble was, you were an annoying little bully who fight around the school along with Quinn Fabray. Only Brittany was immune to your bulling."

Santana allowed herself a small smile as she remembered the goddamned duo she had formed with Quinn in the early years of Hogwarts. Brittany used to accompany them, but the longing colleague was much more an observer than she actually participated in the action.

"I always found you a force of nature. I had this need to challenge you, to prove that I could be up to you, to be as good as. That's why I started with those bets. But I swear I knew nothing. It all happened naturally. Our first kiss on that shit party, and the fact that you broke my heart when you kissed Quinn Fabray at that ball. It was all genuine."

"When did you hear of the prophecy?"

"When I broke up with Finn Hudson because of you. He knew the prophecy. Uncle Nell told him everything. He believed he was the chosen one and the fact that we were dating was yet another proof of that. So, when I broke up, Finn was upset and spit the prophecy over me."

"That was... in our fifth year. Right after we kissed that Christmas. You gave me that small Pride's quaffle. But when you broke up with him, you dismissed me as well."

"I just found out, San. I was angry that a damn prophecy had the power to control my fate and my feelings. I was determined to forget you after that day... obviously it didn't work out. The point is that prophecies are projections of a possible future, not a force that controls destinies. It doesn't matter whether or not you have knowledge of them, the probability of it happening is always considerable. I loved this Slytherin's arrogant skinny girl who made trouble with everyone. I loved the girl that when she played Quidditch, it was as if the sun shone on her chest even in a storm. I loved the girl who never lowered her head, as everyone around her tried to pull her down. I love this immense heart warrior, who cares about people and seeks to do the best for everyone. I love this wonderful lover, who treats me with respect and as an equal. I love this woman who knows how to live with my faults just as I know how to live with hers. I love the mother of my unborn child. None of this has anything to do with a prophecy. It has to do with my body and with my soul."

Santana, still singing from the library, wiped her tears and went to meet her girlfriend. She knelt in front of Lily, who kissed her quickly before putting her head in her lap, allowing Santana to cry freely. That she put out the accumulated frustrations that didn't necessarily relate to their relationship. Lily was massaging her girlfriend's back as she waited for her to calm down. The chosen ones also needed a lap. Santana cried for the war, for the suffering, for the privations, for the obstacles, for the great responsibility on the back of a girl of only 20 years old, for the homesickness of the friends and of the consanguineous family that had not seen so long.

Even when Santana calmed down, they remained in the same positions.

"Lil?" Santana said still kneeling and her head on the lap of her girlfriend.

"Yes?" Lily brushed the hair from her girlfriend's face and stroked it.

"Marry me?"

"Yes."


	20. Year 8 - part 3

First came the acclaim. People celebrated the coup in the UK's Ministry of Magic. The social-liberal policy of Hermione Granger and her predecessors freed domestic elves, made the social integration of vampires and werewolves, signed the ratification of the new rights code for giants and centaurs. Hermione was going to even open quotas at Hogwarts to house nonhuman students. It wasn't just a question of the origin of magical blood: Granger's liberal policies provoked a social revolution that perhaps came too quickly. Conservative groups reacted, and the prophecy was a great excuse.

The second movement was expulsion. The beneficiary population celebrated the restriction of the rights of Muggle-born and the first and second-generation half-bloods. This population was no longer allowed to have commerce or business in the first step, because they were positions that supposedly should be of the true citizens, that is, of the pure-blood. Parallel to this, other European countries began to follow the movements of the United Kingdom. First were the countries of Eastern Europe, then the wave passed through Germany, Portugal, Spain and Italy. France was the country that most resisted the wave, and still resisted in a way. That's why the resistance cells of the cause were concentrated in France. Ireland was a neutral country, because it housed the International Confederation of Wizards. That's why Hermione and Harry Potter were officially exiled there.

The third movement was the beginning of forced migration. The wizards began to be expelled from the houses where they lived, from the jobs. They had limited rights, until they had no choice. That is why many of the cells started working to send the refugees to Angola. The fourth movement was one of lack. It didn't take long for the financial system in the wizarding world to go into crisis due to lack of consumption and labour. The poor began to get poorer because governments didn't care about them. But the rich also began to feel the consequences of the policy of exclusion.

After three years since the coup, the atmosphere was no longer a celebration. It was one of depression. Rumblings spread across Europe that they chose the wrong wizard. But how to react before a government that privileged the protection forces and raised people with heavy weapons and with the court robes as the new privileged class? Suddenly, posters and graffiti of hippogriffs began to emerge in wizard districts and villages across Europe. It was the fifth movement, that things would start to change.

...

When Finn Hudson came downstairs, she smiled at the sight of Marley Rose's old familiar face. They hugged tightly yet without exchanging a word. It was the mark of empathy and respect they felt for each other. In addition to being home mates at Hogwarts, they were still members of the Order of Hippogriff. They escaped from Hogwarts together and fought side-by-side in the following months. The two years Finn spent outside the war didn't seem more relevant.

"You did it!" Marley finally broke the silence.

"It wasn't easy to get here."

Marley nodded. She also took advantage of the new 22 refugees and picked up the cargoes that would be destined for the refugee camp. Finn didn't even look like a newcomer by now. Then she rolled up her sleeves and worked beside her friend, placing the load on the transfigured platôs.

"Need some help?" Finn asked as she watched her friend drive the charges to the touch of her wand.

"No... it's more complicated than it looks. I'm used to."

"You do this a lot?"

"The help arrives once a week. We take turns, but I and Hugo are the ones who do the most of the work we do in the camp."

"Really?" Finn was excited about the possibility of having plenty of work waiting for him.

"It has the charges, the reception to the beginners, the part of security, the work in the warehouse, the kitchen, the cleaning, the cultivation and the fishing, the constructions, the communication, the school, the hospital, the negotiations with the leaders of Bungu, and the training of duels and tactics of defense against art of the dark art."

"All that hassle in your hands?" Finn was impressed.

"Officially, Longbottom is responsible for the bureaucratic issues with the Angola's government. It's the older ones who take on the important government positions and that is how they negotiate. But in practice, who administers everything is Albus, and we help him with priority tasks. Lysander teaches the younger children, Hannah teaches the older children, Longbottom takes care of the cultivation, Padma of the hospital, I take care of the warehouse and the cleaning, Hugo helps in the kitchen and sometimes he play the guitar and we sing. We'll help Albus in what we can. We even have a Quidditch coach and an engineer who helps organize the layout of the course. Everyone works inside. And those who don't work in the country, come here to get a job or do something. Of course, there are people who do nothing."

"Wow! I thought Santana and Lily were here too."

"And they are! They arrived almost two months ago. Santana is learning to deal with politics and is training us with duels and defense against dark art. Lily helps where she's needed."

Finn was speechless. He watched the city as they passed by and noticed that most of the people who were there were black. There were, however, a good number of wizards of other ethnicities, especially Caucasians. It was not possible, just in the passage, to understand how the dynamics between them was established. As they neared the edge of town, Marley ran toward two men arguing. The black man quickly became a zebra and everything indicated that he would attack the other.

"Finite homorphus," Marley conjured, forcing the man back to the original human form. "What happened here?"

"What happened here?" The Bungu native snarled. "He accused me of having stolen him and threatened to destroy my property."

"He sold me a scepter that doesn't work!" The refugee argued.

"Maybe because no one is interested in snooping on you!" The salesman retorted.

"I want my money back."

"I don't do business with stupid people anymore. Especially invaders of that filthy place!"

Marley got in between the two before the fight got worse. She pointed her wand at the refugee and said seriously.

"Go back to the camp," Marley ordered.

Finn and the other newcomers were struck by how a 17-year-old girl managed to get ahead of a man who must have been in her forties. They stepped back and the refugee turned away.

"Sorry, sir." Marley apologized to the merchant.

"This city was much better before you came. You should all go away." The merchant raged.

Marley didn't answer. She just nodded and turned away, back to the work she had to do.

"He offended us all." One of the newcomers who had a strong German accent asked. "You shouldn't have simply turned your back."

"Save your energy for the real enemy." Marley returned to carry the charges.

"That's why they lost the war." Another, with a British accent, complained.

"No! That's why we're going to win the war. Because we know who our real enemies are. These people are our hosts, not enemies."

Finn smiled at the corner of his face and nodded to his younger friend. This was the environment he was asking for: a place with people he could trust and make a difference. They crossed the precarious road linking Bungu with the refugee camp, chatting amenities. Finn talked about his life as a married man in the United States, while Marley proudly said that she was in a solid relationship with Hugo and that she was very happy with her boyfriend.

When Finn came across the field, he was shocked. The entrance to the camp was demarcated by an observation tower whose architecture was unlike any other. The place was smaller in size than the Muggle refugee camps, but otherwise it was little different from them. He saw a lot of tents set up on mud streets, some masonry buildings, and a tower. He couldn't see the plantation there, for it was a few meters deep inside.

"The first building is rooms. That's where the leaders stay. The second is the kitchen and the dining room, the third is the hospital, the fourth is the bathrooms, and the fifth is the storage and administration. That's where I'm going to take all this while you get instructions from this girl here." Marley took Hannah's hand and followed her way to the warehouse.

Finn struggled to listen to the instructions of Hannah Longbottom, a woman he had rarely lived with. Neville's wife fought in the second wizarding war and witnessed the then-future husband cutting off Nagini, Voldemort's pet snake. Legend has it that she fell in love with him at the time. Moreover, it was a woman who liked to interact with people other than Dumbledore's Army. Even though Neville was a war hero, she felt that the others still underestimated him because they had achieved prominent positions, while he decided to be a professor of herbology for vocation.

Santana passed nearby. She saw the new arrivals, including the familiar face. She had already been informed about Finn. The young man recognized her, nodded, and left the group, heading for his sister-in-law.

"Santana... hey!" He tried to hug her, but Santana refused. "What is it now? Don't you know I went half a world to fight on your side?" Finn was indignant.

"What did you promise me when we talked before your marriage to my sister?"

"I said I'd protect Rachel."

"How will you protect her from here?"

"You underestimate your sister, Lopez. Rachel is more skillful than I am. She doesn't need my protection."

"Not even from your company?"

"I don't think so," Finn lamented. "I love Rachel. Only we are not the right people for each other... I think... at least this time... "

"I'm sorry to hear that, Hudson."

"I'm sorry, too."

Santana stepped forward and briefly embraced the friend she hadn't seen in a long time.

...

Shelby ran back and forth on stage to show the choir students what placements they were supposed to occupy. It was a fabulous job for a committed professional who had little recognition. It was the preparation of students for the arts and sciences fair of Boston schools. The choreography was energetic, much to the mold of musical theater, in a mash-up of Hamilton with popular radio songs. As the teacher passed the instructions on what was to be done, Rachel watched from the chairs. So much talent, so much effort for an average salary, little recognition, and the condemnation of forever staying behind the scenes while other less talented people would shine on the stage. The world was a very unfair place.

What was the point of all this? Rachel rose from her chair and walked out of the theater of the Boston school aimed at the rich pupils of the metropolis.

"Where are you going?" David asked. Rachel rolled her eyes. David's presence was irritating. She found the lady's cliché falling in love with the bodyguard even more annoying. Rachel also didn't understand what her mother saw in that auror. He wasn't a very imaginative man. Maybe he was good in bed, as Shelby had let slip.

"I need to cool my head."

"I don't think you should leave without company."

"I don't think you should leave my mother alone. She doesn't know how to defend herself from people like us, but I was trained by my sister. I can defend myself."

David was left without arguments, which made Rachel happy. She left school and reached the main strip. The cars passed, people rushed in dark-colored clothes, elegant, protected from the cold that it was at this time of year and that was so inspiring for everyone. Rachel didn't feel under the influence of muse any of the arts. Instead, she sought a discreet place to disappear. Apparated at the subway station. Amidst so many people awaiting transportation, she simply held the wand and crossed one of the walls of the station. The place gave access to a famous bar in Salem by receiving wizards and magicians from around the world curious about the history of the city.

Rachel shouldn't go in there. It wasn't recommended that she be seen. But she didn't care at that moment. The bar might be dangerous to her, which was protected by aurors; on the other hand, there was no better place in the region to get information on anything from the wizarding world. She put on a cap, conjured an affliction to slightly disfigure her face, and entered.

The music was jazz. It could be a hundred, two hundred years, and the favourite rhythm of a wizard would always be jazz. She sat at the counter and nodded at the goblin.

"Butterbeer, please?"

"Brits." The goblin mumbled and served Rachel.

She frowned, shocked at his perception of her. Maybe it was because Butterbeer was one of the British favourites, but not the Americans. Maybe it was because there were still remnants of the accent she'd acquired in the six years she'd lived on the island. She took a good swig and dedicated it to Finn Hudson. The second big sip was dedicated to sister and war. Sometimes Rachel blamed Santana for life with restrictions she had. Sometimes she felt special for the same reasons.

"British?" An Irish-accented young man approached. "You must be first-degree half-blood or muggle born."

"Really?" Rachel tried to be indifferent.

"All first-degree halfo-bloods and muggles born are racing out of Europe." The man looked at her and grimaced when he saw a half-deformed face beneath her cap. "So?"

"Why does this interest you?"

"Because I'm curious."

"Neither. I'm American from New York. "

"With that accent and drinking butterbeer?"

"I studied at Hogwarts. Just for that. "

"Oh really? I would love to have studied there, but I came to Ilvermorny. Witch house you were?"

"Slytherin."

"Have you studied with Santana Lopez and Samuel Evans?"

"Yes. They are no big deal."

"Maybe not, but they are at the news all the time. It is said that the African Confederation is protecting Lopez and that she is mounting an army of mestizos and muggles to return to Europe. There are people all over the world wanting to enlist. I'd go myself if I knew where that training camp is."

"You?" Rachel frowned. "Why?"

"Are you kidding?" The young Irishman smiled. "It's a chance to defeat Voldemort of this generation and further promote the socialist revolution of the wizarding world! It would be glorious."

Rachel felt uneasy. What kind of imagination was popping in the minds of these people? She might have been away from the front two years ago, but she knew what the war was all about, the cause, and the great shit that was living as a fugitive. What kind of idea did those people have of Santana? Her sister was just a normal girl. True that she had abilities compatible with the great wizards of history, yet all Santana wanted was a normal life, a career in Quidditch, and no political pretensions. And what did she become? A traveling target who, after all, was going to be a mother at age 20.

"I need to leave." Rachel was disturbed. She left a george on the counter and went out.

"What's your name?" The Irishman asked.

"Michele."

"Pleasure, Michele. My name is Rory Flanagan. "

Rachel nodded and left the bar. She wouldn't find anything she was looking for there. In fact, she didn't know exactly what she was looking for. Since Finn left her she couldn't reason right. It was as if she experienced a sort of mourning, a depression of something that seemed very much like a divorce. People used to separate when marriage became unfeasible, right? Finn left her when they still loved each other. The problem was they weren't happy at all with life itself. Rachel blamed the situation. She pulled up next to Shelby's house. The steps toward the house seemed too heavy. She stepped inside and let her body fall into Shelby's favourite armchair. She closed her eyes.

"Rachel?" Rachel muttered under her breath as she remembered that her grandmother had not yet returned home. The lady came into the room, wiping her hands on a dish towel. "Oh my god! Who are you?" The woman was frightened to see the younger girl with a different face, slightly disfiguring.

"It's me, Rachel." She got up to calm the lady. "Don't worry, this is just a temporary transfiguration spell. It will be over in a few minutes and my face will come back as it was before."

"But..."

"Grandma, it's me. Rachel. My favourite cookies are the cream, and I'm a vegetarian, which is absurd for you."

"Rachel?"

"Yes, grandma."

"My God, I'll never get used to these things."

"It was just a trick I had to do not to be recognized."

"Oh… ok… I made fish dumplings for dinner."

"Hello! Vegetarian here!"

"All right. Sorry, I forgot." Lauren sat down on the couch, perpendicular to the chair. "How was your day?"

"Still getting used to the idea that my husband is on another continent."

"Didn't he contact you?"

"Not yet."

"Why not?"

"We don't have the internet, Grandma. The fastest communication we have is through it." Rachel showed a galleon to Lauren, who was surprised.

"A coin?"

"Do you see the writings of the coin?" She showed one of the faces. "When there are urgent messages, the letters and numbers are modified. The coin trembles and gets hot like a cell phone. It is also possible to use email, but few have an account and our natural magical energy causes interference, so it's no use. What we use most are owls. "

"Owls like post office pigeons?" Lauren laughed.

"They are more efficient than you think."

"Why are they magical?"

"Also that."

"When are you going to hear from your husband?"

"I don't know, grandma. He went after Santana. I must be warned at some point when he finds her on the refugee camp."

"This is so scary. You do well to want to get away from all this mess, my dear."

"Do I really?"

"A war is not a woman's place. Especially a fragile and delicate one like you."

Fragile and delicate? Lauren's words made Rachel feel useless. She got up from the chair and went to the room she shared with her grandmother. She saw the picture frame with her moving picture with Santana.

"I hate you, you know that?" Rachel murmured and took the picture frame. She sat down on the edge of the bed and stared into nowhere. The emptiness she felt was becoming unbearable.

...

Marley sat down in front of the bleachers. She smiled at Finn, who was at her side and took Hugo's hand, which was on the other side. The field was almost entirely watching the friendly and special game between Bungu's Jackals, one of African's most popular teams, against the combined refugees. The grandstand of the owners was crowded, as was the rostrum of honour, which counted with all the regional and general foreign ministers of Africa, as well as Angola's chancellor and the director of Ouagadou. Chancellor Lugonu Mbaya was brimming with the success of the organization of the event that was attended by the mainland press as well as some invited journalists such as the famous American David Fisher of the newspaper Salem's Letter and the Brazilian Avelino Vasconcelos, of Luzes do Alto Paraíso. The organization took care not to invite any European newspaper and made it clear that it wouldn't allow visits. The refugee camp was protected by unplottabillity spell to not be traced. In any case, it wasn't possible to see it from Bungu because the very forest surrounding it gave a natural protection and because the camp was on a higher ground in relation to the city.

Some of the leaders of the Dumbledore Army were present: Ron Weasley and Ginny Potter, not to mention Neville Longbottom, who theoretically headed the camp. Lily took advantage of her mother's and uncle's presence and settled into the comfortable cabin. Ginny looked at her youngest in a mixture of concern and admiration. She wasn't yet accustomed to the idea that she would be a grandmother. Ginny thought that Lily and Santana were too young, even though she herself had married at the age of eighteen and had her first child at age 22, finishing her Quidditch's carrer early.

"Anxious about the game?" The mother asked her daughter.

"I'm more frustrated. Padma wouldn't let me play. "

"Of course not. Imagine if you were hit by a bludgeon? It's not because your nausea is better and your belly is still not showing up that you don't have to be careful." Ginny snorted.

Lily feigned indignation. The truth is she was happy with her mother's presence. It was comforting to have a little lap in difficult times. Lily watched the movements that anticipated the departure, as the presentation of acrobats who made daring maneuvers on brooms. She marvelled at the spectacle. Still, she couldn't completely detach herself from the locker room where the teams concentrated. If she were in the locker room, Lily would see a thoughtful and concerned team.

The refugee team chose to play in a blue uniform with stars that circled the shirt, as if it were a banner. It was a representation of the flag of the European Union, since they played four Britons, one French, one Italian and one Polish in the titular team. The team also had three supplants that would only enter in the event of a concussion from someone from the starting team.

"Did they tell us to let the Jackals give us a show on our backs?" Charles Danvers gave the introductory speech. "Why would a professional team need to combine results with a bunch of chipped and fucked-up guys like us?" He paced back and forth, with the attention of the team that struck him all to himself. "I say we forget all this nonsense. They are the professionals: so, the greatest respect they can show is to massacre us on the leaderboard before actually trying to capture the snitch. Let's play our best. Let's give everything we have and try to win every second." He stopped in front of Santana, who was leaning against one of the pillars of the locker room. "What do you say, Lopez?"

With eyes all over her, Santana stared at them all.

"If we win, we can have a diplomatic incident. The Angolan tradition says that it is a good tone for the guest to follow the leadership of the host, as a demonstration of humility and gratitude. But we are Europeans and, by tradition, we are imperialist bastards. Although I always make a point of expressing my gratitude for the welcome and humanitarian aid we receive, this is Quidditch. In the field, I'm floundering if my country is an imperialist colonizing bastard. I want win."

The little team roared through the locker room. Each player picked up its respective broom and went out into the den of lions, or rather jackals. Santana was expecting a full house because of all the political promotion. Charles and Alexandre Drimi were professionals and were used to a large audience. The rest of the staff only had experience of school games. All the flashes were intimidating. Santana wasn't worried about that. She really wanted to have fun and forget for a minute all the trouble she had to deal with.

Bungu Jackals was one of the most popular teams in the African League and the occasional representative of the continent in the world club championship. Most of the players were native to Angola. There were also players from South Africa, Mozambique and Zambia. Although the official language of Angola is Portuguese, the Jackals communicated in the Kimbundu dialect, a language also spoken in the country and a symbol of colonial resistance.

The game began and the jackals soon showed the almost acrobatic ability on top and indicated all superiority over the amateur combo. Santana had as chasers' partners Polish Katarzyna Kolwasky, known in the field as Kat, and Lysander Scamander. Drimi was beater and he had as partner the French Denis Tebould. George was one of the best seekers in the British league. The team completed the rookie Bruce Jordan, son of Lee Jordan, who was also on the field as a keeper.

The jackals were playing to show off the visitors' backs. That's what irritated Santana the most. Without patience, she made an intentional foul in one of the opponent's chaser. She won a warning, but at least she showed her opponent that she demanded respect. The jackals finally made the first attempt, which was defended by Jordan. Kat took the quaffle, passing the ball to Santana. She passed the marker, shifted the keeper and scored.

Ginny, Ron, and Neville looked closely at the perplexing reactions of the African chiefs. What the audience should see was the superiority of a professional team over amateurs. This superiority could also serve as a metaphor. Lily forgot the political implications and couldn't be happier for her future wife. This was the Santana she loved: fearless and wild.

The jackals tried to fight back quickly. In a stroke of fine agility, they tied the game. The refugees tried to make a play, but the quaffle were intercepted between a pass from Lysander to Kat. Jackals 20 x 10. Santana made a personal move that ended with the keeper's defense. The counterattack was fast. When the jackal gunner was about to launch, he was struck by a bullet. Drimi wasn't kidding, either. Kat recovered the goals and made a risky pass to Santana. She managed to keep the quaflle, advanced to the opposing goal and scored. The jackals began to be irritated by the aggressive defense and the constant presence of Drimi, who was one of the best beaters in the world. Who would have thought the refugees were going to get so thick?

"This won't end well," Neville whispered to Ron. "The game is starting to get serious. It wasn't the deal."

"At least this team has balls." Ron celebrated the interesting game he was watching.

"And vaginas!" Ginny complimented. "Nothing is tougher than a vagina!" She recited the infamous phrase that the Harpies used to say before each game to remind themselves that resilience was one of the main characteristics of the team.

The jackals extended the score by 30 points by the end of the first half. Their team was superior, no doubt. But the refugees thrilled and began to gain sympathy even from the home crowd.

"What's the tactic now, Danvers?" Drimi asked in the strong Italian accent.

"The tactic is to bother the most and score goals at the first opportunity."

There was a kind of undeclared agreement that in the friendly the seekers didn't hunt the snitch in the first two times. It was a way of training and making a spectacle that didn't risk the end in the first minute. At least this agreement the visitors would fulfill. The second half finished 100 x 50, with goals from the visiting side scored by Santana and Kat.

The match ended in the middle of the third half when the jackal seeker picked up the snitch. But not before the spectators witnessed one of the most incredible attack moves, in which Drimi intercepted the goals by sending a bullet. Lysander took the leftovers and moved on to Santana. She passed to Kat, who advanced to the goal. At the last moment, the Polish lost possession of goals, a jackal tried to recover, but Lysander made a light that allowed Santana to recover the quaffle, dribbles and, at the last moment throw to Kat, who made the goal turning as if inside a tire. It was elastically incredible, but very difficult to mark with this movement, because of the precision. When Kat got the goal, it was an event.

Yes, the refugees lost, as they were supposed to do, but not deliberately. The match happened different than originally planned, there was fighting from both parties, beautiful bids. In the end, opponents greeted themselves on the field in a display of genuine mutual respect.

"Well you could be a jackal." One of the chasers told Santana, as a way of praising her for the great match.

"It would be an honour to be one." She returned the affection.

Chancellor Mbaya gave a speech before handing the symbolic cups of participation to the teams. He didn't look so happy. The problem wasn't the fighting behaviour of the refugee team, but the whispers he heard during the game. Whispers that used to be more important and revealing than any political speech in a plenary. And what he heard was that the chancellor general of Africa, Francis Bymoa, continued with the support of the supreme Mugwump, Babajide Akingbade.

After the game was organized a press conference in which Santana Lopez would speak alongside Neville Longbottom and Ginny Potter. That made her more anxious than any Quidditch game, especially since it would be the first time she'd stared at reporters from a quick speech she gave to Rita Skeeter at the second school's world championship in Russia. She hated doing that, but it was absolutely necessary. She was placed in the center of the bench and faced the 36 journalists who were there with notebooks being filled with magic feathers, there were flashes and a little commotion. After all, this was the first time the central figure of the supposed defeated side was going to speak to the press.

Ebo Kodwo was the mediator and organized the reporters.

"They're like sharks, honey, but you're the hippogriff and that's your stage. It's going to be okay." Ginny took the hand of her daughter-in-law and gave a small smile. "I am here for you."

"Miss Lopez." One of the reporters stood up. "Why seclusion for all these years, and why did you decide to expose yourself now?"

"No one wants to ask about Quidditch?" Santana replied with the question in an unintentional joke. It made little timid giggles that helped ease the tension in the room. "The point is, I haven't been reclusive for all these years. Since I escaped from Hogwarts, I have embarked on a long journey around the world. It was three years running away from the insanity that has turned my country and the rest of Europe. And it is also three years that the people of the countryside work foolishly to shelter those who have been persecuted for not having the standard of purity of blood required to be a citizen. If I'm just talking to you now, it's because the African confederation has given us security. I also think we need to denounce the atrocities and how they are affecting citizens across Europe. We have 587 refugees here, counting on me. Worldwide, we have managed to account for almost 6,800 people who fled Europe or are in exile among Muggles. Half of them are British. Imagine that? And we aren't counting the dead and the people who are imprisoned for the simple fact that they are opponents, half-bloods or muggle born."

"Miss Lopez. Why only now have you decided to go to the refugee camp after three years running the world?"

"It's good to make it clear that I haven't spent three years vacationing around the world. Lily and I learned a lot, honed our skills, and ran away from murderers on a number of occasions. Assassins sent by the British government in particular. When they said that I was needed here and that I should come, I didn't hesitate. I came to help, to add."

"Miss Lopez." Another journalist stood up. "How was your relationship with Samuel Evans and what was your opinion of him?"

"I've never had a relationship with Samuel Evans. When we studied together at Hogwarts, to me he was just the crafty fellow of Hufflepuff who played Quidditch fairly well. The only time that our paths crossed more significantly was when he dated my ex-girlfriend and nothing more. I know his mother is an extremist, but he himself had never expressed such opinions. I don't know what happened or what I did to have aroused his hatred. For me, a prophecy is not enough to be angry at someone. Even today, I still can't feel his hatred. Maybe I'll never get it."

"The ex-girlfriend you refer to is Brittany Pierce, who was murdered in Russia?"

"Yes."

"Do you believe Samuel Evans is related to this death?"

"I wouldn't blame anyone without some evidence, not even a guy like him, who clearly wants me dead."

"Miss Lopez, my name is David Fisher from the newspaper Salem's Letter. Unlike most of us, you have a record in British and American nomad and dual-citizenship society. You can enjoy all your rights in both societies in the United States. So why escape the world and then come to a refugee camp in Africa? Do you want to be a martyr?"

"Martyr is someone who is dead! Death comes to all, and I sincerely don't want to call for it. There are people in my life who make me want to live as much as possible, even though I am capable of dying for them. One way or another, I'd rather call life! About the other part of your question, I would love to have gone to the United States and stayed with my family, but the US government was one of several in the world that closed the doors to the refugees. I am as refugee as the more than 500 people who are next to me in the camp. Yes, I am the daughter of an American Muggle, I have a record in Muggle society, I have a passport, but I am not a Muggle. I am a witch, I am British and I am European as all refugees from the countryside. All I ask is the possibility of living in dignity, in peace and exercising my rights and duties in the place where I was born and chose to live, regardless of my origin. Independent of being mestizo, homosexual, and granddaughter of migrants. Wizarding society is very small. We are just over 3 million worldwide. There are muggle cities with more people than that. London has more inhabitants than that. We are so few that there can be no room for racism and other exclusionary attitudes among us. It only makes us weaker. Inclusion is what strengthens us as a society."

"Does the inclusion also embrace nomads?" Fisher insisted. "Is it true that you want the integration of nomadic society with ours?"

"I don't desire the integration of worlds because our history shows that this is not safe. Most Muggles can see us as aliens or as members of a demon cult, and will want to exterminate us. Staying separate and keeping the secret of this parallel existence is the best way. However, there are muggles who know and accept our society, like the parents of many of us. Muggles are able to generate wizards and we don't understand why this occurs. But it does! If these people have wizard children, if they take notice of our society and accept it, will we still turn their back on them and make them our enemies? It makes no sense. There are also squibs and many of them were important in our history. We had a system and inclusion policy that worked very well in the UK and Western Europe. But he was destroyed by intolerant racists."

"Miss Lopez," Fisher insisted once more. "What about your father? He is trapped in Azkaban by the Hogwarts invasion claiming that he was under his command. The Gryffindor house was practically decimated. What do you have to declare?"

Santana sighed deeply. She knew that at some point someone would remember that callus. Juan Lopez wasn't only free, as he was one of the agents who rescued wizards exiled from society itself. The problem was that she couldn't expose him, after all, the work done was far more important than sticking to issues that would be elucidated over time.

"My father is well and free. Whoever is in Azkaban living with polyjuice potions, I can only lament for him when the biological samples I got from my father are gone. As for the Gryffindor house, why don't you ask the current Head of Hogwarts why the house was extinguished?"

"One more question..." Fisher was persistent.

"Mr. Fisher, with all due respect, but I believe there are more people I would like to ask." Ginny interfered. "I believe that this political position is well clarified. How about we move on?"

"Miss Lopez." The Brazilian journalist stood up. "Is it true that you are training an army in the refugee camp?"

Santana looked at Ginny, who put her hands on the back of her daughter-in-law in a gesture that silently asked her to remain calm and not lose control of a collective that was going well.

"If we were training an army of refugees, do you honestly think the African community would be supporting us? The countryside is nothing more than an open space with a lot of tents of people who suffered a lot because they were expelled from the society to which they belonged. It's a large group of people who work together to continue living on impromptu and surviving a situation that Merlin wants to be only transient. That's what you can see tomorrow morning. And when I'm there, I'll ask that question myself. "

"Sorry if I offended you, Miss Lopez, but we have information that you have been trained for many years in duels and that you can conjure complex spells without the wand, something that even the Africans can't do. Your patronus is a hippogriff, and we have news that hip-hop posters are being spread." The reporter showed one of the leaflets and handed it to Santana, who studied it quickly.

"It's a symbol of resistance. It's something bigger than me. Much bigger. Honestly, sir, I don't have that much importance in this game. I'm not the hippogriff. I'm just a woman. But if the hippogriff represents the people who fight against this oppression, then I will also follow it."

Given the commotion that Santana's speech caused, Ginny thought it best to take over and close the press conference. The last sentence of Santana would already have had enough impact in the press and, certainly, worldwide repercussion.

"Sorry, but I believe that Miss Lopez will have to withdraw. The group will continue with me and Mr. Longbottom."

Santana got up and left the room trying to calm down. She met Lily and hugged her.

"I officially hate journalists," Santana said softly, close to the bride's ear. "I hate them but your mother, of course."

"They're boring." Lily comforted her. "Let's enjoy the party?"

Santana didn't feel like it. The collective drained all the good humour she had left. On the other hand, she wasn't crazy in opposing the pregnant bride who was desirous of a little fun. They went hand in hand to enjoy the festivities, which included food stalls, games and music and dance performances. They bought cotton candy, drank juice (Santana promised to follow Lily's diet in solidarity). In one of the stalls, there was the challenge of the cherry wand. Considered one of the most difficult to handle the game consisted in reaching the targets using the wand in question. They met with Finn and Lysander trying to handle that wand. None could even conjure. Lily tried it and nothing. Santana tried and nothing happened. Intrigued, Lily tried again and went on without any effect.

"This wand has a core, by any chance?" She asked the owner of the game bar.

"Of course it does," he replied with a smile.

Lily didn't buy the explanation. And? It would not let a beast game spoil the night. The couple talked and laughed with other friends, like Marley and Hugo. The band that animated the festivities touched tropical music and was characteristic of many countries in Africa and were sources of inspiration for artists such as Paul Simon, The Clash, Talking Heads and Vampire Weekend. Lily and Santana danced among colleagues, tourists, and the people of the city. The sensation was great in moving the bodies now with sensuality, sometimes just aiming for fun.

"Here we stand / Like in Adam and Eve / Waterfalls / the garden of Eden / Two fools in love / So beautiful and strong / The birds in the trees / Are smiling upon them / From the age of the dynasors / Cars have run on gasoline / Where, where have they gone? Now, it's nothing but flowers." Santana sang as they danced, making Lily smile.

"What is this music?"

"Nothing but flowers." Santana continued to mutter the song for a while. "I used to hear this song a lot in New York."

"It sounds like fun," Lily commented as she continued to dance.

"Only the rhythm is fun. The lyrics are sad. It's about a guy who lives in paradise and can't live in it."

"And what makes you want to sing a sad song?"

"It's not the emotional state, it's the beauty of the song. I just like this song and it came to mind. Do you want me to stop?"

"I love when you sing. You could be a great singer if you wanted to."

"I bet our baby will like to sing too."

"Not if she pulls my side of the family."

"She?" Santana narrowed her eyes, wondering if she had heard right.

"Oops, it slipped away. I planned to tell you otherwise."

"No... it was perfect!" Santana smiled and kissed the bride. She and Lily were already dancing in a rhythm all of them, not caring about the beat of the song. "A mini us up there. We need to choose a good name for her. Preferably, a name that is her own."

"Only hers?"

"Your family loves to repeat names." Santana laughed.

"No Lilian then? Or Santana Marie?"

"And nothing of Ginevra, Molly, Jane, Rachel, Hermione, or Rose... don't even think about Shelby!"

"You're not funny!"

"I'm doing her a favour, Lil."

Santana smiled and gave a long kiss to the bride, enjoying the moment, the dance, the sound, the taste. Unfortunately they were in public and couldn't go any further.

"What about the last name?" Lily asked.

"Potter-Lopez, of course!"

"Why not Lopez-Potter?"

"Potter-Lopez sounds better and doesn't tongue-twister."

"You know what I think?" Lily said seductively.

"What?"

"That we should get the broom, fly to our room and discuss these issues while we make love for the rest of the night."

"It's a great idea."

...

"I hate this."

Marley grunted with Albus as she watched the four journalists selected for the visit to the refugee camp. Press professionals would accompany Neville and Hannah Longbottom along the little tent town to show them their routines, while the rest had to pretend to work naturally, as if nothing unusual had happened. All this was part of the political strategy for the cause to gain more international sympathy. The reporters would collect sad and real stories, publish them and wait to see the repercussion of everything.

"I also have a bad feeling about it," Albus said as he organized the messages and clippings of the news that came. "We are exposing ourselves too much. We should expect advanced oneness to do their job."

"Do you really think it's possible to reverse the situation with investigative and espionage work?"

"No."

Albus looked once more out the window to calculate more or less how long the journalists would be there to fill him with questions he wouldn't have the patience to answer. Marley tried to work quickly with the copy of the news, before fixing them on the wall. It was where everyone in the camp had a chance to learn a little about the outside world. Lily interrupted the pair as she entered the office, mumbling Wonderwall's refrain, which was her and Santana's music. With the touch of a wand, she fixed the mess in the corner of the room and then handed a list to his brother.

"Looks like somebody had a great night," Albus teased.

"Someone needs to have it." Lily smiled.

"You look a little tired. You slept?"

"Not much." The conversation between the siblings made Marley a little embarrassed. They didn't care and kept playing. "You're very tense, Al. You need to get a woman to stay awake... or a man."

"Sometimes I regret not being gay, because meeting a cool girl who is not committed to someone is hard." Lily and Albus exchanged confident looks.

"Anyway, our stock of flour and sugar is low. Padma asked for a number of ingredients for healing potions and there are many requests for the purchase of vinegar. We need five more tents and I think we need to think seriously about asking for a shop in Bungu to start making money for the camp."

"Put that on the board meeting agenda." Albus continued to read the list of requests. "Why do we need so much vinegar?" He was surprised to see the list.

"Transfiguration." That was all Lily had to say to make herself understood: vinegar was much cheaper than wine.

The group of journalists accompanied by the Longbottom couple made their way to the office. There was a small interview. Each one explained the function performed, the routines and the reporters left.

"I just want to see if this strategy works out," Albus grunted.

"Evans rose to power using the press and propaganda," Marley commented. "It was time to start using the same weapons. They are boring, but they are needed."

"As long as you have the decency to leave certain private affairs out of the limelight," Lily commented, bringing her hand to her belly.

"I don't know, Lil. Soon it will begin to appear and the people of the country and the city will know. Then they will know."

"Do you also think I should hide in a hole?" Lily was indignant.

"If it is for your good and the good of the baby, sacrifices need to be made."

Deep down, Lily knew that her family was right. Santana thought the same. She hated the idea, but for the sake of the little girl growing in her womb, Lily knew she would have to leave soon enough. The most likely destination was the village of Kohadjo.

...

Quinn read the news from the American and African newspapers on a lookout overlooking the Mediterranean in Varigotti, Italy. Santana was on the front page of all of them. Some made a montage, putting her picture in front of a background with the hippogriff symbol of the leaflets scattered throughout Europe. Pamphlets were a cause strategy. There was a German ally who was particularly talented with art and layout. He produced the pamphlets and the cause mirrored. The purpose was precisely to inflame the mood of the dissatisfied with a symbol that might bring some hope.

"I'll bet no European newspaper has shown this news," Rose commented as she picked up one of the copies of the newspapers and analyzed the headline. "She looks great."

"Yes, she is. She looks more mature."

"It looks like the speculation is about to start," Rose commented as she read some of the story. "Merlin, we almost just put the exact coordinates of the refugee camp."

"It was already expected."

"I know. It isn't enough for her to simply come to Europe. We have to create the environment."

"We should be in England doing this."

"Our field is France and Italy, Fabray. There are more qualified people in the main field. Athena..."

"Athena wants to see me off the front," Quinn said in disgust.

"She thinks you need a break, some time to breathe."

"I breathe when I transform. Athena should understand: she is also an Animagus."

"Whatever." Rose rolled her eyes and left the lookout. "We need to go, anyway. We have a train to intercept."

Quinn shook her head. She was frustrated, needed an urgent change. She thought seriously about Juan's proposal. A direct attack? It was crazy. But precisely because it was considered a madness that she thought could work. Quinn watched over her group planning the assault aimed at rescuing a specific prisoner: Gabrielle Delacour, one of the leaders of the resistance movement in France that was confined four months ago. She would be transferred to a prison in Hungary, which they would intercept near Milan. It was an important mission, it was risky, but Quinn wanted a way to end it all at once. She knew that the best chance of this was in Angola at that moment.

…

Zabini, Evans and some of the high-level members of the Ministry of Magic examined some of the African and American newspapers. Evans was particularly uneasy with the provocation. It was the first time Santana had spoken to the press, and she was supported by a protective wall of the African Confederation. It was known that the African Confederation had more influence over Asian organizations. As much as American organizations signaled being left out of the fray, it was obvious that African and Asian support felt the cause stronger.

"She's in Angola," Zabini remarked. "We can send infiltrators to settle with the matter."

"I should kill her!" Evans shouted.

"We should worry about solving the question, beyond any longing." Zabini scolded the pupil. He knew full well that Evans was already more powerful than he was, but he still had the form of the mentor who was still to control the dark lord. "Samuel, let us be clever. There are insurgents popping up everywhere. And responding by attacking these small fishes is not going to help us sort this out."

"We should kill all the hippogriffs!" Samuel wasn't satisfied with Santana's sympathetic speech by the international press.

"To be accused of barbarians attacking innocent creatures?" Zabine replied again. "The criticism we get when we kill all those house elves is enough. We must take it easy, Samuel. We need to think and be smarter. We will send infiltrators to Angola. It's likely they won't be able to get it, but they can get her to come here, exactly where we want her."

"Do you think it could work?"

"Won't you want to pay to see?"


	21. Year 8 - part 4

There were four rows of checks at the Ministry of Magic. Each was coordinated by three agents, so that the pace was relatively fast. Groups of ten employees were checked each time, so no one with a fraudulent identity entered. Netunus Black came to the ministry hall with a different expression on his face. Before entering the line, he apparated in a place where it was supposedly impossible. And he disappeared just after the checkpoint. A movement so quick, so discreet, it wasn't even noticed by anyone else. After all: who would pay attention on Netunus Black? A guy who came to declare in the past that he sympathized with Santana Lopez "for her being a good teammate."

Netunus Black entered the office in the Department of Public Information Services, the second level of the Ministry of Magic, and soon found Mary Greenward wagging and looking shocked. Normally, he would have rolled his eyes and walked right past her. She had no patience with the forced drama that the middle-aged lady did whenever she had a gossip to tell. Even so, Mary always told the gossip of the day. On that occasion, exceptionally, Nenutus paid no attention. He frowned and moved closer.

"Are you all right?"

Mary was surprised at his colleague's sudden attention, but until she didn't think the gesture was bad. She smiled half-abused, revealing the certain lack she felt. Mary folded her posture and made a serious face.

"Clarice was fired."

"Clarice? Why?"

"She was spotted in social activities with a muggle! It looks like he was her lover."

"That's... disturbing." Netunus seemed to calculate every word, every gesture.

"These girls act as if there are no good wizards available. What stupidity to spend time with mere muggles."

"I agree. It was a fair dismissal. "

"Glad you see it that way, Black. I thought you'd be upset about being forced to do double duty now that Clarice was fired."

"I don't care. I can stay late for today if I have to."

Mary was surprised the second time around. She was astonished by a lazy employee like Netunus Black had not complained.

"Are you sure?"

"I do." Netunus blinked and gave a small smile to his colleague.

He lingered a little between the desks of the study and even sat down at the table he occupied. He glanced at the volume of work that had accumulated. Netunus began to check the protocols and crafts that came flying to his desk. He checked the mail. Nothing but bureaucracy that came to an average employee of the Ministry of Magic. It all seemed like an incredible waste of time. He was annoyed and left the office under the indignant look of Mary Greenward.

"Where do you think you're going?"

"I need to solve a problem in the personal department."

"Now? Why don't you send a flying lettler? We're stuck!"

"I'm sure inserting a lot of approved and revised propaganda into the Daily Prophet can be done perfectly by someone of your ability and dedication, Mary. See you later."

Upon entering the elevator, he met Priscila Lestrange. The young woman wore a dress just enough to reveal the curvaceous body and fanciful imagery. These mysteries unraveled by Netunus still as a student at Hogwarts.

"Looking good today, Lestrange."

"Thank you, Black."

"Would you like some tea?"

"Of course not."

"But we used to have tea together."

"That was before." Lestrange responded with arrogance and without the slightest sign of embarrassment over the involvement they had at Hogwarts.

"No chance to revive our good days?"

"Why would I give shot to a loser like you?" Lestrange let out a shriek as Netunus pulled her hair and pulled her back in a possessive manner. "What are you doing, idiot?"

"Making you remember my touch."

"Never had a touch, Black. You're not like your cousin."

What cousin was she talking about? Aramis Black?

"I can make you change your mind. I improved."

Priscilla led Netunus to her office as co-ordinator at Floo Network Authority. The room on level six was nicely decorated, although it was small. Priscilla asked her secretary not to be disturbed and got in with Netunus. Yes, he showed her how much he had "improved." It wasn't a mere "quickie." Netunus showed Priscila a trick or two, for free.

"So?" He asked with a cynical smile on his face after intercourse.

"I don't know... maybe we need to repeat it so I can be sure." She said with an equally cynical smile, but body language denounced that the sex had been fully satisfactory.

"Of course! Maybe tomorrow!" Netunus wore his pants and left Priscila Lestrange's office without looking back.

Netunus passed by the cafeteria and entered the bathroom. Inside the toilet box, he opened his hand, took the strands of Priscilla's black hair, and carefully placed them in a jar. He felt his hands tingling, which reminded him that it was time to take the booster dose. He picked up the bottle he had in his inner coat pocket and took a swallow. The body calmed down. He decided to visit the newsroom, a department next to where he worked.

He saw the typewriters working with the touch of magic foolishly, which was an interesting image, although some of them wrote letters of censure and warning.

"Are you lost, Black?"

Netunus was surprised by Amber Nox, Santana Lopez's former stepmother, who was currently coordinating the entire Department of Public Information Services. He forced a smile on the woman, when, in fact, he was almost annoyed to be in her presence.

"I came after the newspapers to check the publication of our report."

"They're in the Backup and Archive room, not here."

"Yes, ma'am." Netunus smiled and headed for the file room followed by suspicious looks.

The Backup and Archive room was interesting. It gathered the editions of the main newspapers of the world. It was the only place in the whole of the United Kingdom where the newspapers came to be censored. Headlines like "American Government studies sanctions Europe" would never be taken to the pews. Netunus gave a quick read through the headlines and beginning of some stories and noticed that Santana, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger have been taking the international news with some frequency in recent days. The foreign press treated the cause of the refugees sympathetically, though they were wary of the political intentions of Potter and Granger.

"Black?" Netunus was surprised by Mary. "What is with you today? You know what the policy is, do not force me to report you."

"Sorry, Mary." Netunus nodded. "It is that yesterday I received bad news about my health and I am still very shaken. I'll have to extract a piece of my liver."

"Oh, that's a misfortune, Black. No wonder you're so distracted."

"Yeah, I'm a bit tense. But, of course, this is no excuse to leave it in hand. Let's go to work, shall we?"

Netunus resumed the bureaucratic work that consisted in reviewing and despatching reports and advertisements already approved for publication in the newspapers, in the printing of pamphlets and posters, and the dispatch of internal reports to officials of the Ministry of Magic. No confidential information came to the hands of those officials. At the end of the day, he said goodbye to his co-workers and used the floo network to reach Vila de Salazar, which was a completely wizard-like housing complex newly created to house the traditional families who lived in Muggle districts. He went to the apartment on the fourth floor and kicked the door before opening it with the key. He found the apartment with two men who would be allies, but not necessarily friends. Netunus greeted them both. He felt the tingling again through his body, and this time he let the process of change happen. In two minutes, Netunus took the form of Juan Lopez.

"How did it go?" Terry Boot asked.

"The ring works." Juan gave a small smile. "In a short time, we will be able to gather enough information and samples to make our final move."

"Direct attack," Michael Corner reinforced, excited that the plans were going according to plan.

"This was just a small sample." Juan showed the bottle to his companions. "It's from Priscila Lestrange."

"The new generation slut. She's only 23 and they say her pussy is already wide." Terry Boot said without fear of revealing the macho side.

"It's not tight, but it's still a good cunt," Juan said with a half-smile on his face.

"Oh, you don't..." Boot laughed.

"Fame suits you." Juan went back to analyzing the biological samples of Priscila Lestrange. "We're going to need a bigger team."

"But who? I know few people who would encounter a suicide attack. The best ones are in France and couldn't easily enter London. Besides, not everyone is willing to break the orders of Harry Potter and Hermione Granger."

"I know some people who would take a chance." Juan told his companions.

He pointed his wand at the pen and the parchment, and began to write a list of names. Among them: Quinn Fabray.

...

Santana raised her hand to her face, still not believing in the lack of control that happened after the existence of the refugee camp was announced. What was to receive only ten more members, suddenly, there she was making the first contact with 223 new residents, and a good part had a beaten appearance. Santana also noticed that in the small crowd just arrived there was a greater incidence of people of different blood origins. The progressive increase of residents was difficult but manageable. But to receive such a quantity in the space of only two weeks was to ask for the installation of chaos, especially since the donations remained the same and it was no longer possible to administer the resources and maintain the distribution in a dignified manner.

"We can't get so many people." Marley said in a terrified, even soft voice.

"We can't send them back," Albus mused.

Santana pulled the two friends out for a brief private conversation.

"Marley, take a broom and go to the camp. Tell the situation and set up five tables to get these people's data. Tell Lily she's in because there's no better interviewer than she is. I want Drimi to mobilize some volunteers to search the newbies. Ask Padma to mobilize all volunteers to screen people for injuries. Albus and Charles, you will lead the newcomers to the field and, Albus, send an urgent message to the old men. I'm going to stay here to try to set an appointment with the chancellor, because we're going to need resources urgently. I want everything for yesterday."

"Do you think all this is necessary?" Albus questioned.

"Think. Your brother is an asshole, but he knows how to do a well-done screening. You told me yourself that you never had any problems so far. If so many people arrived at once, it's because the old scheme went into space."

"Or because they know you're here," Charles Danvers commented, glaring at the crowd. "You have to admit, Lopez. These people aren't here to take refuge. They want an answer and action."

"I didn't come here to turn this into a guerrilla training camp," Santana snarled.

"No. You came because it's about time you took over this situation. As you did right now as you divided the tasks. And you did it naturally." Charles insisted.

"Just do what I told you to do." Santana flinched, uncomfortable with the expectations people put into her.

Santana closed the small meeting with her companions and turned to the newcomers. She climbed onto the platform bench to serve as a platform, and touched the tip of her wand around her neck to amplify her own voice.

"Good afternoon ladies and gentlemen. My name is Santana..."

"We know who you are!" Interrupted a middle-aged black man with a heavy French accent who had his jacket torn and no luggage bag in his hands.

"That saves a performance phrase." Santana nodded. "I know you came from far away and faced horrible things until you got here..."

"Why aren't you there?" The same man continued to interrupt. Santana thought to ignore, but couldn't.

"Sorry sir. Why am I not where?"

"Why aren't you fighting at home? Why are you here when you should be there? You left and they took over, drove us out of our homes, took our possessions, took away our citizenship because we didn't have pure blood. Now they are hunting down anyone they don't like or who simply outlines the slightest sympathy for the cause. And you're not there to fight it."

"Did you by any chance fight?" Albus asked harshly.

"We are of the blue armada." Another man with a strong French accent took the floor. "We tried to take the parliament and we lost. They killed our comrades, but at least we tried."

"Fighting doesn't mean dueling," Santana argued. "We try to do it in a way that minimizes the loss of life."

"Tell this to the werewolves, the centaurs, and the giants. They're almost gone now." Another shouted.

"The cause tried to protect them," Santana countered.

"How, if you're here? You are destined to fight for us. You are our champion! But here, you are champion of nothing! She's just a crooked and scared child."

The words from the newcomers were like knives that hit Santana and paralyzed her. She knew about the situation in Europe, knew about the massacres because the news arrived by the advanced team led by Teddy Lupin. But what could she do? Facing Evans and the army of supporters promoting a bloodbath? Would there be no other solution than the direct clash? Could there be no other revolution there Gandhi in the world?

On the other hand, Santana felt that politics and diplomacy didn't help change the situation. On the contrary. It was as if the current European leaders didn't give a damn about the bad foreign publicity. Why would they? All the press was controlled and censored. There was no way the population in Europe could follow the discussions. And with so much propaganda and fear, who would have the opposite opinion?

Santana knew the time was coming when she would have to get out of relative African protection, and this distressed her. Especially because she would be a mother soon, and all she wanted was to be able to meet her daughter.

"All in time," Santana said robotically before getting off the bench. "Albus Potter and Charles Danvers will accompany you to the camp."

She turned her back and had to hear the sound of protests from men clamoring for a decision. They cried out for direct war, for they saw no other way. Maybe there was no other way. Santana walked quickly to the central square and stopped in front of the government palace. The idea was to talk about the precariousness of the countryside, but how to negotiate an important political and humanitarian issue if she herself was so upset? Santana took two steps back, ran across the square and jumped. The people who were there, including many of the newcomers, witnessed something that hadn't been seen for a long time. More precisely, since Voldemort and Severus Snape: a wizard who flew without being animagus and without a broom.

It wasn't the first time Santana had flown. It was something she started training at Bomdeling. Her first attempts were at the feet of the Himalayan mountains, under the guidance of the monk and Professor Nangyel Ungyen. She hadn't tried to fly since arriving in Africa, but the frustration and pressure made her do so after months. It wasn't a complex flight. It was more for really big jumps and high but straight. Even Santana, still discovering such ability, was still impressive of what she could do.

Like everyone else, she had heard of the deeds of the great wizards of history, such as the unmatched ability of the late master of death, Albus Dumbledore, of Grindewald's ability to remain invisible without a cape, from Voldemort and Snape to fly without broom, or Slughorn's in being a master in legilimence and occlumence without having gifts of telepathy. Santana had a desire to go beyond being a formidable duelist, so she started to try to fly. Having a spiritual connection with a hippogriff also helped. Nangyel Ungyen, who had the ability to bend the mind, that is, he could visit places with the power of thought while his body is in a situation of deep meditation. Nangyel Ungyen could be the perfect spy, but his philosophy of life put him away from any war. Still, he taught Santana to develop a special ability.

Santana started with jumps worthy of an Olympic athlete and, little by little, was managing to improve the feat. But until that time of confusion, she had never risked doing something so blatant. She flew more or less like a hippogriff.

Santana landed near the field, before the limits of the protection barriers. she walked among the stalls and found a newly arrived Marley beginning her mobilization. Santana went straight into Lily, under the questioning looks of the others.

"Can we talk privately?" Santana asked softly, almost crying.

"Of course."

Lily took her girlfriend's hand and led her away from the small group to the room they shared. She hugged her girlfriend and let her feel the comfort of her arms for a few minutes. Lily kissed Santana on the lips and stared at her.

"What happened?"

"Marley does not ..."

"Marley said a larger group than expected was coming."

"I don't know what to do, Lil. I don't know what I'm doing here."

"You're doing your best."

"I'm not... I'm not sure what I need to do here... I don't think I'm making difference... and now you're pregnant... and all I want to do is travel the world with you and our baby far away from any war."

Those words squeezed Lily's heart. She knew better than anyone that Santana, no matter how powerful, was just a girl who had frailties like any other. It was someone who, like Lily herself, needed a lap now and again.

"Listen here!" Lily gripped her girlfriend's's face. "Do you think the work we do here is easy?"

"Not at all."

"Great! Now wipe those tears away and show these people that we aren't playing camping here."

Santana nodded. She wiped her tears and kissed her girlfriend. Lily had become her main foundation over the years, to the point of no longer knowing what she would do without her future wife. Besides, younger Potter was right: there was hard work to do. They both had.

...

The hawk crossed the city of London with its light and fast flight. It wasn't easy to get to the great metropolis. It had to take a ride on a ship from Dunkirk, France, to Dover, England. It can be said that the animal's heart struck when it flew over the homeland for the first time after three years of exile. It flew cautiously until it reached old London. In human form, the hawk would surely trigger alarms installed in parts of the city, especially those that concentrated wizards. But the traffic was free as an animal. It needed only to watch out for predators and occasional hunters who could hit it with a shotgun.

The hawk landed in the proper window after five days of travel and searching. A man in his early-fifties, dark skin and Latin features approached. He smiled, patted the animal's neck briefly, and raised his arm so that the hawk would land there and lead him inside. The man took the animal to a room and indicated that there were clothes on the chair. He left the room.

The hawk turned into Quinn Fabray in a few seconds. The beautiful woman was exhausted but happy to be "at home". She took the clothes on offer to hide her nakedness. It was a dress below knee length, brown, two larger numbers of the mannequin she wore. It wasn't handsome either, as if it had been made for "Grandmas". But who cared? She certainly didn't.

Quinn left the room and ran into seven people. Seven freaks with an absurd plan. But just for that, it could work. There were also seven people who had full interest in making the plan work. Juan Lopez wanted to save his daughter who would soon be a mother. Terry Boot wanted revenge for his government-murdered son. Michael Corner needed to make peace with himself after numerous failures. Linda Kress had lost everything, including her family. Roger Davies had debts to pay with his own conscience. Heidi Macavoy had private affairs to deal with Zabini. Quinn stared at a familiar but ill-treated face that she had not seen for more than three years.

"Hummel?" Quinn went to the old Hogwarts colleague. They never talked at Hogwarts, but Quinn remembered that Kurt Hummel and Mercedes Jones were like nails and flesh, and that they were her Hipogriff's Order fellows. As far as she knew, Kurt Hummel was in Azkaban and hadn't been part of the cause for a long time.

"Hi, Fabray, it's been a while."

"Yes. Since..."

"Since the fall of Hogwarts," Kurt said in his harsh voice, pure reflection of what he himself had become. "How have you been?"

"Serving the cause since the fall of Hogwarts. I thought you were dead."

"The news of my death was exaggerated. I was trapped most of the time."

"Oh... and what happened to your friend?"

"Mercedes Jones?"

"Yes."

"She died in Azkaban. My boyfriend died at Hogwarts. My parents are in exile. And Juan said my step-brother married Rachel Berry."

"That's odd, isn't it? Finn and Rachel together."

"There are stranger things in this world." Quinn frowned, still not understanding the real motives for Kurt to be right there.

"I found Hummel roaming the city. He was completely lost", Heidi Macavoy explained. "I... we gave him something to live."

Quinn raised an eyebrow. She wasn't so convinced, but accepted the explanation. It could be a lot of coincidence. On the other hand, the community was too small for there to be any. Juan thanked her for accepting the call that she herself couldn't say no anymore, because she accepted something she had already declined in the first place. But she could never admit it out loud to not sound so pathetic. The team gathered around the table, and Juan took the lead, explaining in detail the plan.

"How can You make sure this will work?" Quinn questioned after listening carefully to what Juan had to say.

"I can't", Juan said sincerely. "But it can work, because we've spent the last few weeks getting them all out of circulation." Juan nodded to Quinn to follow. They went down the stairs and Quinn's eyes widened with what she had come across.

...

Quinn always listened to stories about the meetings with Voldemort. There was a dome of death eaters leaders formed by people like Bellatrix Lestrange, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, Antonin Dolohov, Dolores Umbridge and Severus Snape (who was a double agent). Each of this elite group commanded smaller groups with specific functions. Russell Fabray was 21 years old when the war took place. He didn't get involved directly with the duels, but he and his father were funders and provided the death eaters with part of the logistics they needed. Russell used to say that the encounters were always tense, in the muted way. Meetings with Voldemort used to happen in places with sparse lighting, even if they were mansions. There was a rumour that Voldemort had become photosensitive after his return, so he only walked in the open at dusk and at night.

Samuel and Zabini's government seemed to be very different. Starting with the light. The party was very well lit, the magic effect that decorated the ceiling of the palace even gave an optimistic atmosphere to the event. It was a meeting of some of the European leaders, and the ball was the social occasion of the meeting to keep up appearances, or rather, the press to announce the climate of optimism. Everything the European newspapers published were headlines about false progress and promises, how society was so much better off without half-bloods and mudbloods. Ever since the foreign press reported the refugee camp, local governments began to rewrite the news to give the impression that Santana Lopez ruled a place of miserable mestizos and mudbloods because they were just those kind of people who brought misery and violence.

What was more ironic was that a good part of the gala guests knew about the manipulation and censorship of what was reported: that Europe was going through a socioeconomic crisis due to isolation, and that there would come a point that would be unlikely to maintain appearances, especially when products made and imported from other countries start missing on the shelves.

Netunus Black, or rather, Juan Lopez, walked arm in arm with an imposing Priscila Lestrange, or rather Quinn Fabray. 'Priscilla' was the guest of the event. Usually Netunus Black, no matter how old the Black family might be, would never have gone beyond the gates if Lestrange wasn't with him. She had a reputation for only getting involved with high-ranking or wealthy wizards. Hence the general surprise when she appeared accompanied by a low-echelon bureaucrat official.

"I hate it here," Quinn whispered in Juan's ear.

"There are two of us." He looked at the sides of the room and saw one of the waiters eyeing the unusual couple. It was Roger Davies infiltrated under the effect of a wizard's polyjuice potion. She walked to him and smiled.

"Canapes?" Davies asked the so-called couple.

Quinn took one and tried it. It was divine. Juan did the same while passing the wand that belonged to his ally.

"Nervous, babe?" Juan teased Quinn, trying to bring a little humour to the girl who was also anxious.

"My parents are here," Quinn whispered, pointing the direction of the pair of hair almost as blond as a veela. She hadn't seen her parents for years, ever since testifying against Russell on the day of the trial that brought him to Azkaban. She didn't want to feel somehow intimidated by the presence of the man she hated, but who was still her father.

"Will be all right. Stay within the plan. Don't drink alcohol and no suspect substance, okay?" Davies reinforced the recommendation, as the polyjuice potion wasted time with the ingestion of alcohol and other drugs.

Quinn picked up a glass of champagne. She would need to pretend to drink, after all, Priscila Lestrange drank considerably in social events, as found in the preliminary research before hitting her own on the way to the Ministry of Magic. He looked at the watch on Juan's wrist. They had about another half an hour before they needed to booster the potion. Quinn could reproduce Priscila Lestrange's little tricks thanks to what she remembered from fellow Slytherin from the time they were both at Hogwarts.

"Let's move a little," Juan suggested. "Try to look casual. He should come up soon."

"It's easy for you to say, since you've been living like Netunus Black for weeks."

"Believe me, that's the worst part."

As they circled, they found allies: Heidi Macavoy, Terry Boot, Michael Corner and Linda Kress. Kurt Hummel had lagged behind, watching the ones whose identities had been stolen: all were kidnapped and locked in a basement.

Juan felt on the skin the lack of importance given to Netunus Black. Even in the company of the illustrious "Priscila Lestrange" he seemed to have the strength to change that idea. On the other hand, the contempt of the others seemed to give him some freedom to move and observe without being disturbed.

The false couple passed next to the parents of Quinn Fabray. Judy did the usual role of wife engaged in marriage while her husband smiled and drank with future business partners. Russell was supported to recover the Tutshill Tornadoes. He had already managed to recover the mansion in the small town and was close to being able to cancel the process of buying the team. The movement made no sense in the Muggle laws, but it had to be borne in mind that the wizarding society of the United Kingdom had its own laws, even though there was an administrative tie to the British choir. Quinn had mixed feelings about it. She loved the staff that a century ago was managed by the Fabrays. There was a certain tradition there. On the other hand, Russell Fabray was a corrupt and a rapist paedophile.

Walking a little more, the false couple came across Samuel Evans' favourite group of thugs. It was a good sign that the main guest would appear. Quinn set the cup she held on a table and walked casually toward Heidi Macavoy, who laughed in an affected way, in a very poor representation of Lohanne Stone: the young woman was more impetuous, determined and less affected.

"Drop the tone, be more petulant and less dazzled," Juan whispered casually in the ally's ear, but the women who witnessed the interaction got the impression that it was a gesture of seduction. A bold move for someone who would be accompanied by haughty Priscila Lestrange.

"Someone is lucky." One of the women commented wickedly. Netunus could be a low bureaucrat, but he had beautiful physical attributes. If 'he' was with 'Lestrange', it should be because such attributes extended into sexual abilities. Let them think that way.

"That someone was Priscilla." He smiled, lavishing discreet charm that wasn't even typical of the real Netunus. It was pure Juan Lopez the way he himself faced the game of seduction.

Juan remained in a position where she seemed to accompany the most important lover on the social circuit, but who could pay attention to the conversation of Evans's friends. There were Noah Puckerman, the Goyle brothers, Gail Travis, and two older men who were foreigners. The conversation was low-key, and it wasn't long before Juan realized that joining would mean being angry. He came a little closer, then made a petulant little discreet gesture, catching Noah Puckeman's attention. The wizard turned to the supposed Netunus Black.

"Is there a problem, Black?"

"You mean you fucked three girls who were begging to suck you? Please!" Juan chuckled mockingly. "Knowing who you are, it's easier to have used imperius for the girls to do it."

"And what do you know about girls, Black? Do you think Lestrange is a feat? We've all been there."

"It's not about who's been there, Puckerman. It's about who mattered. You didn't have any."

Puckerman held "Netunus" by the collar, ready to punch him. Juan knew he should make friends with these people and not provoke them. He waited for the aggression, but his eyes wide, staring, not to be cheap. That was when he felt a magic push.

"Darling!" Quinn gripped Juan's arm. "I allowed you to accompany me because you would never have the ability to steal my attention." She smirked at Puckerman. "It's not good to piss off the henchman."

"Great joke, Lestrange," Puckerman said without humour. He was vain enough to reject at all costs the sting of Samuel Evans's henchman. But the reality was that Puck was no more than a gorilla who did dirty work under the orders of both Zabini and Samuel.

Although the little commotion had drawn the attention of the people who were near the reception, the people soon turned around the hall, when Samuel Evans entered with Kitty Wilde, he's almost recurring company. The leader came in smiling and squandering the youthful charisma. Unlike Voldemort, who led by fear, it was clear that Samuel wasn't even leading the way. He was like a head of state, as if he were royalty who left the job of government to Blaise Zabini. Samuel was there for the fun show, to enjoy the prestige of being the most important person in the hall. Juan, Quinn and the allies knew that none of this meant they should underestimate Samuel.

There were many doubts and myths about his wand, but it was a matter of peace that the dark wizard was extremely dangerous and deadly with it. There were many reports that he won all the duels he faced except one: at Hogwarts, when Santana disarmed him, cornered him, but couldn't kill him. At that time, he hadn't yet built the wand, so there was always the expectation if the result would be the same. This was the great Achilles heel of Samuel.

Samuel Evans began to circulate among those present, speaking only to those who were interested. Even some diplomats and foreign chiefs were ignored. He went to Puckerman and greeted him with enthusiasm, showing that, despite all these important people, he remained faithful to his friends.

"What do we see here?" Samuel approached Juan. "Here is a face I haven't seen for some time."

"How's it going, Commander?"

"It's odd to see a supporter of the rebels at my party."

"I was never sympathizing with Santana Lopez. We just played Quidditch together. "

Samuel's face was hard to read. Juan began to grow restless, fearing that the dark wizard might be wary of something. Everyone knew what a mere mistrust was capable of doing at that time. Azkaban was filled with people arrested for making it a mere joke or criticism of the times.

"Forgive me, my lord." Quinn interfered and stood beside Juan. "I invited Black to join me at this reception. I thought it would be fun." She tried to smile suggestively, but the tension set in.

"Really, Lestrange? We're used to seeing you with your occasional lovers", Samuel insisted. "But I didn't imagine you could have sex with someone like Netunus."

"I lost a bet."

"Oh!" Samuel softened his expression. "It must have been a good bet."

"Things post-orgasm can do."

Samuel smiled, lifted his champagne, and turned his back to the fake couple. Juan took Quinn's hand and discreetly pulled her away.

"We need to act now," Juan whispered in Quinn's ear. "Now or never."

Quinn began to feel the typical tingling and stopped in the middle of the hall. She took the bottle in her bag and took a sip. With the transfiguration stabilized, she looked around and saw no abnormalities in the behaviour of those present, after all, Priscila Lestrange was known for her great fondness for an alcoholic beverage.

"If we go after Samuel, we'll call attention," Quinn warned.

"Let's get attention anyway." Juan signaled to the allies who were scattered around the party. It was time to strike.

Juan walked resolutely to the side where Samuel was. His eyes were fixed on the prey. He knew He had a small single chance. He needed to be quick, precise, and pray that other colleagues would give him cover for the escape. Of course, he was nervous, after all, he had planned a suicide mission that could end a war right there. At least, that was what he faithfully believed.

Juan approached Samuel, who had his back to him, conversing amicably with Zabini and another man he didn't recognize. That was the chance of a lifetime. He was nervous, his hands were sweating, but he moved on. Theoretically, no guest carried a wand at the party. It was a measure of security so that all the guests left their respective wands in the doorway. But Juan wore the royal ring of centaurs that Quinn could barely get through to him. The object gave him some special powers, such as apparating in protected places. That was how Juan teased the security and got in with the wands.

Juan wasn't naive. He knew that such rules would never apply to Samuel himself, or to Zabini or the guard. There would be retaliation. So he had to be perfect. He signaled to the allies, withdrew his wand from his suit jacket when he cut the distance to Samuel and said the words his daughter had never dared to utter.

"Avada Kedrava!"

The blow struck Samuel from behind, but not as expected. The unforgivable curse of green hue circled Samuel's body without actually touching him, and dispersed.

"Avada Kedrava!" Quinn and the others tried equally unlucky. The effect was exactly the same. The unforgivable curse circled the dark wizard's body and dissipated.

Samuel was protected all the time by the very wand he built at the expense of the life of Brittany Pierce, among other processes of the dark arts. Juan didn't expect this. No one expected that. How could they? Samuel quickly turned to the man he thought was Netunus Black.

Quinn screamed and pushed people close, and began to run, as did everyone else, causing the confusion and hysteria that was supposed to allow the group to flee. But it would not be easy. As expected, Samuel's security men began to chase them around the room. Quinn was a skilled duelist, but she ended up losing her wand due to a bumbling of a guest trying desperately to escape.

Yes, the story happened, but not all pandemonium caused Samuel and Zabini to take their eyes off the fake Netunus Black. Samuel drew the dreaded wand built with the force of darkness. Juan attacked again with the fatal unforgivable curse, this time aimed at Zabini.

And he did it.

He killed right before he was disarmed.

Zabini was dead.

Blaise Zabini was dead!

Samuel Evans' mentor and chief man was dead.

While Puck and the other henchmen immobilized the supposed Netunus Black, Samuel looked horrified at the fallen mentor. He took the powerful wand, only to find that even he would not be able to bring someone back from the dead.

Samuel shouted.

"Get out of the way!"

When the henchmen left the supposed Netunus Black, Samuel stepped back.

The potion had ended the effect and Samuel was before Juan Lopez.

He took a deep breath. He was a leader. He has been trained since he was 15 to be a leader. He needed to think. Especially that the mentor was dead.

"Arrest him! I'll deal with this junk later." And turned to Puck. "Get Lestrange as if your life depended on it, because it depends."

Without his own wand, Quinn ran to the exit. She thought of nothing else, no one but escape. Juan failed. All failed. There was nothing to do but run away. She had to reach for a wand. Any of them. People ran aimlessly, more desperate to get out of there than to recover their belongings. Quinn was in the crowd as she was being chased. She needed a wand. One touch would be enough for her to channel the transformation into a hawk. Experienced and powerful animagus could transfigure their own wand and change anywhere. She had no such control and power yet. She needed a wand. Any of them. The exit was close, but there were people running after her. All she needed was a wand, or maybe even the ring of centaurs.

Quinn tried to run through the confusion, the bumps that made some people fall to the ground. She was determined. She saw the counter with the cabinet in which the attendant kept the wands of the guests. There was a lot of shouting, a lot of confusion. Juan was left behind. He failed. Quinn couldn't have the same fate. She was almost, almost...

…

The room was cold and dank and very reminiscent of the Hogwarts dungeons. But she wasn't in the legendary school of witchcraft in the UK. She wished. At least she would know where to go if she had a chance to escape. She was sitting on a wooden chair with her hands and feet tied. She still wore the party dress, which now tightened, since Priscila Lestrange was smaller and thinner. Probably already had been searched and would have no chance of reaching the wand or even become the hawk. In fact, it would not be good if the enemy knew that she was an Animagus.

"Quinn Fabray!" She heard the familiar voice. It was Samuel Evans himself. "You have no idea of my happiness in being in front of you. Finally."

Quinn was aware of Samuel's obsession with her. She knew all the risks involved in her staying there. But what could she do? All she could do was hold out until the cavalry arrived. That is, if it ever comes. There was, therefore, the great possibility that she would die at the hands of the enemy. This was a risk everyone had been running for years.

"Look at that face. So gorgeous." Samuel gently touched Quinn's face, which turned abruptly. The gesture only seemed to excite the dark wizard.

"Better than a guy with half ear."

"One day you will learn to appreciate these scars."

"Never."

"You must really love that bitch to risk a suicide mission with that idiot."

"Well, Juan killed your bitch, so…"

Samuel silenced her with a violent slap in the face. Quinn grinned cynically and spat some blood on Samuel. He gave her another slap and retreated two steps.

"Tell me one thing: is Santana Lopez here to reciprocate kindness? Or was she a coward enough to sacrifice her own father?"

Quinn remained silent, staring at Samuel and taking care of the movement of others around, including Puckerman and Aramis Black, to her disgust.

"Lopez is not here." Samuel remained disguised. "She's in Africa, too busy fucking Harry Potter's daughter to care about you." He played with the blonde bunch of Quinn's hair. The touch made her angry, and she began to gasp. "Aren't you going to say anything about that?" He continued stroking the prisoner hair with light touches, not yet so invasive. Quinn knew he wouldn't stay this way for long.

"You can torture me as you wish, Evans. I have nothing to say."

"Not even to save your own skin? You changed, Fabray. Where is your Slytherin's sense of self-preservation?"

"I'm a Slytherin, a snake, not a rat."

Samuel laughed loudly, making Quinn even more tense. It was his stage, the whole situation favourable to him.

"Tell me one thing: what do you think about the brave Santana Lopez playing house hiding in a refugee camp in Angola while you're here?"

"Santana is not playing house. And if I were you, I would encourage her to stay as long as possible in Africa. Because when she comes, she will be to put an end to you once and for all."

"That is, if she can get out of there alive." Samuel turned to Aramis Black. "Tell Dolohov to continue the plan." Then he turned to Quinn, resting both hands on her thighs, his face approaching in a truly invasive manner. "And you're going to watch the fall of your cabinmate's cottage. Santana Lopez dies tomorrow and there's nothing you can do."

"You're bluffing."

"Why would I bluff you?" Samuel laughed. "You're bound and completely at my mercy. Santana Lopez is going to die tomorrow and I'm going to celebrate doing what I've always dreamed of." He forced one of his hands between Quinn's legs, though over her clothes.

Quinn tried to fight, she moved her body so much that the chair fell to the side. The shoulder suffered the greatest impact, followed by the side of the head. From the floor, she saw Samuel in her peripheral vision.

"See you soon enough, Fabray."

...

She was sitting on the couch with her hands on her face. Her eyes burned with frustration and anger. She felt guilty for not returning to her companions, and knew that this feeling would corrode her. While she was desolate, the movement in the apartment was almost dead. There was only Kurt left, who had lagged behind to watch the prisoners. He got up and touched the older woman's shoulder. They needed to leave, because it was only a matter of time before the agents invaded the place.

"Netunus is only a minor employee of the Ministry of Magic. It's completely disposable", Heidi speculated stammeringly. "But we can try to trade Priscilla for Quinn. She's a high employee, after all."

"It won't happen." Kurt tried to reason coolly. "We have an employee of the Ministry of Magic among many others. They have Santana Lopez's best friend and former lover."

"What are we going to do, then?"

"Get out of here."

"No way!" Heidi protested. "Juan and the others are in the hands of the enemy, and let's not keep it a secret? I can't agree to that sort of thing."

"Do as you wish. I'm leaving. Let the prisoners be found by the agents."

"Our plan should be to rescue them," Heidi insisted.

"I'm sorry." Kurt took his things and fled, leaving a devastated Heidi behind.

Deep down, Kurt felt like a coward. He really wanted the plan to work, that Samuel was dead and buried. But Kurt was also an ex-convict, and the thing he learned best to do in Azkaban was to survive.

...

Santana woke up next to her girlfriend. Lily looked as if she slept in peace after a night of love. She pulled Lily's blanket down a little to expose her belly. Santana smiled as she saw the belly growing so that it could no longer be hidden, except for the use of loose, heavy clothes.

"Hi Jyn," she whispered. "Is everything quiet in there? I hope you're warm and happy."

"Jyn?" Lily said without opening her eyes. "You're not going to call our daughter Jyn, and that obsession with Star Wars will have to stop."

"Jyn Potter-Lopez sounds great."

"It sounds like we've named our daughter after a drink!" Lily turned her face to face to her girlfriend and thus give more weight to criticism.

"It doesn't sound anything."

"No Star Wars names, Santana Lopez! No Padmé, Leia, Rey, Jyn, Shimi, Ahsoka or Sabini... or that orange being whose name I forgot."

"Maz Kanata?"

"That one."

"You're not funny."

"It is absurd to think that someone so strong, who has traveled the world, the great chosen of our generation, is a little bit of a nerd!"

"Arya then?"

"Santana!"

Santana laughed and kissed Lily. It was fun to simply piss off her girl in that tiny eight-square-foot world that served as home to them five months ago. But it was there, in the Spartan room, that Santana allowed herself to smile and cry, to show all the frailty she had to hide out the door. It was in those eight square meters that she allowed herself to be just a young woman. She began to tease Lily with pranksters, making her laugh and beg Santana to stop. She knew every sensitive spot in that body and knew that tweezers applied on the inner side of her thighs used to culminate in a quickie. Santana shifted her position to Lily, gauging the weight of her body so as not to hurt her girlfriend or the baby. She stroked Lily's breasts as they kissed passionately. The hand went down to the south, reaching for sex. Stimulating Lily, which quickly got wet, and penetrated her with two fingers.

"Katniss?"

"No..." Lily replied breathlessly.

"Buffy?"

"No way."

"Kara?"

"You won't convince me... while you're fucking me."

"What if I stop?"

"If you stop now... I'll kill you."

Santana smiled, kissed Lily quickly as she continued to work with both fingers in and out while her thumb did the providential pressure into the wet region of her clitoris. The rhythm was perfect, making Lily feel the waves of pleasure running through her body. She and Santana had sex on a regular basis and never spent more than a week without it, except when Lily was seriously ill in India. At that stage of her five-month-pregnancy, when her seasickness had passed and her sex appetite increased with hormones, Lily was much more receptive to the caresses, even the one who took the initiative most of the time. Not that Santana was complaining. Lily had an orgasm, then let her body relax as Santana slowed the pace.

"I need five minutes before I eat you," Lily said to Santana, who lay beside her.

"You don't need Lil. I am fine. Today was about you."

"I doubt you're not excited after that."

"I am, but it's morning and you have despised all my suggestions."

"Won't you let me touch you until I accept one of your nerdy suggestions?"

"No... I'm saying that my mission today has failed and that we have to go to work."

Santana kissed Lily's lips before getting up. She put on her clothes, being watched by the bride, took the towel and the toothbrush. Santana left the room and headed for the toilets. She mumbled that it was no longer possible to keep the bathrooms as clean as before. It was impossible for the cleaning staff to keep the twelve toilets and showers spotless for nearly 700 women out of the nearly 1,300 refugee camp. There were more wizards there than the total population of some countries. There were more wizards concentrated in the refugee camp than the population of Greece, for example, or of Portugal. Proportionally speaking, it was as if the refugee camp had hit the population of the Dadaab camp in Kenya, which had at its peak half a million Muggle Somalis until they were thrown off in unethical or human ways by the Kenyan government .

Santana returned to the room and found Lily already dressed and preparing herself for the morning routine. Suddenly her gaze was lost, thoughtful.

"What was it?" Lily asked.

"I was thinking about our old recurring conversation..."

"It's not time for me to leave, San. I'm pregnant, not unusable. I can still help with the work here."

"I know, babe. That's not what I meant. It's just that things have gone out of control these last few weeks and I feel that the weather is more tense than normal. I don't want you to take unnecessary risks."

"I will not argue with you. I have already said that when my gestation is near to over, I will go to the United States, although it is almost an offense that our daughter is not born on British soil."

"Lil..."

Lily didn't answer. She left the room and had the intention of repeating the routine made by her girlfriend minutes before, with the difference that she needed a shower. Lily greeted the women and girls who crossed the path and waited for a shower stall to vacate. Due to the number of people and limited water, the showers were programmed to run for only three minutes, controlled by a sort of magic timer and some additional incantations. The shower screamed insisted. Lily switched on the shower and lathered herself practically the instant the water fell on her body. Rinse well in time. She dried herself quickly and got dressed to vacate the boxing. She returned to the room already thinking about the routines of the day. She would check the scales of the cleaning staff and check the deposit, then think about flying broom to Bungu to buy some private supplies. She needed new clothes and bought some ingredients to make potions to moisturize the skin (it was cheaper to do than buy it). She was going to look for chocolate frogs at Bungu's only candy store. She wanted to eat them with a little lemon juice. Lily also thought about finding a bow for Santana's hair. The chosen one looked so handsome when she wore her long black hair loose instead of her usual ponytail.

Lily crossed with her cousin and then with her brother. She greeted both with a friendly pat on the back. She ate breakfast that was the same for everyone. Coffee was one of two meals offered in the field. Anyone who wanted more food would have to buy with their own resources in Bungu or some muggle town, like Luanda (there was a floo network from Bungu to get there). The point is that only the people who got jobs or marketed anything in the cities had such resources. Everything else (most of them) survived what the field was capable of offering. Lily had some money that was sent from time to time by her parents. She checked the scales of the cleaning teams made up of volunteers. It seemed that everything was in order that day. She herself had to work on picking up the organic garbage that day and took it to the fields of "Uncle" Neville, who would turn everything into fertilizer, in a process that took a few weeks with the magic acceleration. It wasn't such a painful job when performed at the magic touch of the wand.

Lily watched Santana preparing to give the defense training against art of the dark the first group of the four organized by age group. She moved into the warehouse building to begin weekly inventory control. Food was coming to an end before the deadline, which could mean a forced rationing for a day or two. It also meant that instead of two meals, only one could be provided and this would be fish or meat with bread. Lily has always heard the saying that Anarchy is one step away from a meal. As much as there was a policy of letting people try to move forward and regain independence, a sort of regulatory state had been created within the camp, a ministry of magic that managed a microcosm with a socio-tribal character that was becoming difficult to manage.

Lily made the list of what would be needed for the field and then sent to the African confederation and to the international agencies. As she noted, she heard a noise. Lily stopped and listened. Silence. She returned to work, this time picking up her wand and controlling the pen for an enchantment. Pen and paper floated as Lily dictated the list. Again, she heard an atypical noise and saw movement through peripheral vision.

"Protego horribilis." She conjured up just in time to defend herself from an attack.

The aggressor revealed himself and advanced against her, who did her best to defend herself and counterattack. But there were two of them. The second didn't hit her by very little. Lily had to defend herself from the shrapnel of seeds and the wooden shelves. She patted Protego once more as she tried to escape. She knocked one of the shelves over one of the attackers who gave her no respite and took time to face each other. Lily conjured expelliarmus without verbalizing, and then stunned him. One less. The other wizard had gotten off the shelf and hit her. Lily felt her body flutter against one of the bookshelves and thought earnestly that it might be the end.

"Stupefy." A third element conjured.

It was Marley and Finn who knocked out the second assailant.

"What happened here?" Finn was scared.

"They found us, of course," Lily said angrily, still on the floor.

"Tie them both up," Marley ordered Finn as she ran to help Lily. Marley tried to lift her arm, but Lily refused.

"Wait," She said, feeling the pain of the blow on her back. She immediately put her hand to her belly and moved slowly, to make sure nothing was wrong, despite the duel.

In the meantime Albus and Drimi also arrived.

"Lil!" Albus was frightened to see his pregnant sister sitting on the floor amid fallen shelves, scattered grain, smoke of flour and shrapnel.

"Calm down! I'm fine!" Lily gestured her brother not to go up to her. "Marley, now I want your help if you can."

Marley held out both hands and Lily finally got to her feet again. Lily approached one of the attackers already tied with conjured chains.

"I don't recognize any of these guys."

Meanwhile, Santana arrived accompanied by Charles Danvers. She looked pale and a little queasy when she saw the scenery.

"What happened?"

"The field was compromised," Lily replied. "They attacked me."

Santana felt even worse. She was even more nervous and apprehensive than her girlfriend, who had suffered the attack.

"You..."

"I'm fine, Lopez." Lily cut her off, preventing the drama from settling. She only called her girlfriend by her last name when she was really angry or nervous. "I can not recognize any of these guys. I'm a good physiognomist and I don't know who they are."

"They must be with Evans," Albus mused. "They must have arrived with the most recent refugees."

"Is it just these two?" Finn asked.

"I want a task force now," Santana ordered. "Albus, take Finn, Danvers and Drimi with you, get some more from the policing team. I want all those who arrived in the last cam together and isolated, to search all the belongings. Marley, please accompany Lily to Padma."

"No need!" Lily snapped.

"Marley, take Lily to Padma do a check on her. These two are... "

Everyone bowed their heads at the sound of a very close crash. They ran outside and were shocked to see that the dormitory building was on fire. Santana was astonished. She heard a third explosion that knocked over the observation tower. In the midst of widespread panic, among people running everywhere, Santana was also lost for a second. The cafeteria building was the next to explode.

"Stay here!" Santana ordered.

She made a move with the griffin core wand, and suddenly artifacts were detached from the walls of the warehouse building and toward the group. With another movement with the wand, Santana hurled the artifacts up, just in time to explode 40 meters above where they were. The impact brought them all to the ground.

"Lily!" Santana shouted.

"I'm fine!" The girlfriend answered.

"Go back to the warehouse!" Santana ordered when the toilets building and the infirmary also exploded. Everything went through the air. Between screams and chaos, smoke and fire resulting from the explosion of fixed field structures were modeled on the shape of the black mark, which had only been seen for decades during the second wizarding war. Almost immediately after the set black mark, death eaters took to the skies in flush flights with brooms, indiscriminately attacking the field, burning the tents.

Santana stood in the midst of dust and smoke. It was so much information that her mind began to work more by instinct and less by rationalization. She saw one of the death eaters approach quickly and didn't think twice. With a subtle twist of a wand, a broom that had been in the vault escaped into her hand. If she was the hippogriff, it was time to fly.

"Confringo!" Santana conjured with her wand before the death eater action and managed to knock him down.

There were two more brooms left, which were taken by Drimi and Danvers. The trio made the first resistance, using the differentiated ability acquired in Quidditch to fly better and attack efficiently. Meanwhile, the others on the ground were organized.

"You guys stay with Lily," Albus ordered Finn and Marley. As he saw everyone disorganized, he placed his wand at the tip of his throat to amplify his voice and ran camp inside. "Emergency Training! Emergency training!"

Refugees, especially the older ones, received little training and guidance in the event of an attack. The surprise attack made this population disoriented, but it was enough to hear Albus's well-known command voice for many to come back to reality. People who had a little leadership in that hierarchical sphere began to act as the one trained and to organize the others. Some people ran the children toward the forest, others controlled the fire magically, while another group aided the combat.

Santana and her comrades, already receiving ground aid, knocked Death eater down for death eater in acrobatic battles over brooms. Santana wasn't holding back. She didn't use the unforgivable curse of death, but she wasn't worried about mortally wounding her adversaries with the repertoire of dueling spells she knew. And the list was vast. Santana attacked either by destroying the brooms, sometimes by knocking down the opponent, or by hitting with a right-handed spell. Drimi and Danvers also did their best, and Danvers, seeing the fury with which Santana eliminated the death eaters, thought it would be more effective if he accompanied the leader and conspired to protect her from being hit.

One of the death eaters flew high-speed toward Marley, Finn and Lily. Finn held Lily and pulled her out of the way, while Marley took charge of the protective spell, forming a temporary barrier around them. The death eater insisted. Marley defended all three again. It was Lily, still in Finn's arms, who attacked.

"Confringo!"

The death eater flew off the broom and fell rolling on the floor next to where the trio was. Finn went to the fainted assailant and removed his mask. He was surprised to see that death eater was one of the refugees who arrived two weeks ago. Finn was assigned to set up and show the field to the group. He remembered being thrilled when he learned that this man was an Appleby Arrows fan, just like him.

"What are we going to do with him?" Finn asked Marley and Lily, who approached.

"Conjure the chain to tie it up," Lily ordered. "Something tells me there will not be much left of them to ask questions later."

Lily looked up at the sky in time to witness the last death eaters being knocked over. Two on account of the action of the Santana attack and another that was overthrown by a ground attack. The sky was clear except for the black mark that still lingered between the fire and the smoke. Lily pointed her wand at the image of the skull and stuck it. Marley understood the gesture and reinforced. They worked together to remove the abominable symbol from the heavens.

Santana landed in the meantime. She dropped her broom and run to hug Lily.

"Are you all right?" She said referring to Lily and her daughter in the womb.

"We are. Are you alright?"

Santana just shook her head. They hugged each other.

...

Magical repair was possible when the object was broken by force of some impact. The bottle that fell to the floor was repairable. The wall destroyed by the impact of some magic could also be repaired with magic. But things destroyed by fire could not be recovered. The refugee camp was accounting for the damage hours after the attack. There were 68 deaths caused by the attack of 18 death eaters who infiltrated the field. Two were killed as a result of the injuries and the fall in the aerial combat with Santana. Fourteen were killed by popular rage. Two survived for questioning.

Among the dead, there was much pain and commotion when they discovered that the jovial and talented Hugo Granger-Weasley was among the fatalities. He was inside the dorms, the first building to explode, and perished beneath the debris. Marley, his girlfriend, was inconsolable, as were his cousins Albus and Lily, and his close friends, especially Lysander.

The number of wounded reached 240: the majority presented cuts, burns and intoxication by the smoke. Padma was in a hurry. The surviving building became an inadequate ward. She had the help of the healers who arrived from Bungu, but however much the population of the city was moved by the attack on the troublesome refugee camp, it still mattered that the city had no resources to attend to so many wounded people. Padma and the medibruxos moved the seven most seriously injured to the city hospital, others who deserved more care were improvised in the surviving building. The rest lay in tarps and sheets in the open, hoping that healers and volunteers could do the best job possible.

No building can be repaired with magic. They were detonated with muggle-made time bombs. Also, 27 tents were burned, making entire families lose all their memories and material possessions.

Santana was in one of the tents in a meeting with the chancellor of Angola and the president of South Africa. They were talking about moving the camp somewhere in South Africa, near the border with Lesotho. There was even the possibility of dividing it, and a second field would be installed in Namibia. She left the tent when she thought the meeting was over, without hearing from the leaders a definite answer to the immediate problem. Politics was frustrating. Even rising quietly and without fanfare, she drew the attention of the other leaders to the point of making them stop to greet her.

Santana walked among the refugees, passed quickly near the makeshift space where the wounded were being treated. It broke her heart.

"Lopez!" A male voice caught her eye. That was when Santana realized that almost all the remaining refugees surrounded her. "Lopez! What are you going to do now?"

Santana looked at the faces of those people. They were people who were dirty with dust and soot, and who, above all, had a fury in their eyes despite their mourning.

"I'm going back to Europe, I'm going to settle the bill with that son of a bitch and I'll take back what's ours. That's what I'm going to do. Enough of being stuck, accepting the monstrosities of these supremacists."

"That seems very irresponsible, San." Finn stepped forward and stood before her colleague.

"Let me guess: you tell me that I can't expose myself and all this bullshit."

"No... what I mean is that it seems very irresponsible, it's almost suicide. But I'm on your side and I'll follow you to the end. That's what I came for."

Adila Amandi conjured up an image of a hippogriff on the smoke that still left the field. It was pale, but full of symbolism. Santana looked up and saw the fragile image of the hippogriff. It wasn't right. An imposing and noble animal, whose symbolism was loyalty and bravery, could not seem so. Santana thought of Lily. She thought not of a happy memory, but imagined a desired future situation of her with her daughter in her arms beside her future wife. Her heart filled with love.

"Expecto Patronum!"

A very strong silver light came from the tip of the ebony wand. An immense hippogriff was formed and the patron began to fly majestically under the field, as if it were real.

Lily looked up at the sky. She saw the magnificent hippogriff riding through the clouds, but she wasn't impressed. She was sitting under an improvised stretcher, being watched closely by Padma, who was worried that stress had put Lily's pregnancy at risk. Lily couldn't be impressed with anything, she was empty. She watched Marley cry herself, mostly because of her boyfriend's death. Hugo was a light in the world, a talent destined for the general public, and that damn war interrupted his trajectory. Lily wondered what they were going to say to Hermione, Rose, and Uncle Ron?

Santana sat down beside Lily. She didn't say a word. The chosen one just stood by her girlfriend and allowed Lily to lean. Santana hugged her, still in silence, feeling the destruction, the deaths and the wounded.

"Lily needs to leave as soon as possible." The couple were surprised by Neville, who was accompanied by Albus and Ebo.

"Where to?" Lily asked.

"U.S. Harry will enter into an agreement of political exile and protection for Lily."

"It's the best thing to do. My mother and Rachel can stay with you", Santana agreed without hesitation.

"Aren't you going with me?" Lily asked tearfully.

"I can't. I need to end this war. Ebo, you need to help us bring people back to a new field. Call Adila for that. Albus and Neville, you're going to help me recruit those who want to come with me to fight."

"About this, Albus and I had an idea that could make it easier for you to enter Europe," Neville speculated.

"What?" Santana asked.

"Let's declare that you died in the attack."

"That lie can't go very far, Longbottom. There are a thousand witnesses here who can tell me I'm alive." Santana pondered.

"I know that, but this lie will allow us to make the first offensive move more easily. It's the loophole and opportunity we need."

"Well, I kind of like the idea." Santana approved of the plan. Then she turned to Lily and kissed her on the cheek.

"Everything's going to be all right, babe. You and our girl will be fine."

...

Quinn had lost track of time. She was in a cold cell that had nothing but a plastic plate of food and a plastic cup of water. She was feeling terribly alone, abandoned, failed. Samuel stepped in and stood before her with a bottle of champagne and two glasses. He smiled.

"As promised, I came to celebrate."

"You didn't kill her."

"See for yourself."

Samuel handed Quinn a moving picture of someone who looked a lot like Santana dead on the beaten dirt floor. She was standing next to a girl who looked like Marley, but she could not be sure. But pregnant Lily crying beside Santana's supposed body was recognizable. It was an "official" photo produced by the Angolan government especially to try to deceive the European organizations. After all: the African Confederation couldn't lie about such information or, indirectly, be declaring war on Europe.

"This is not true."

"Santana Lopez died in Africa, and her struggle lost ground. It's time to celebrate. You can come freely or we can do the way I hurt you. Either way, I'll have exactly what I want. "

Quinn closed her eyes and really pondered the options she had. Survive or brave, that's the point. She wanted to cry, but he swore he would never give the Lord of Darkness this pleasure. Quinn faced Samuel and made the choice.


	22. Year 9 - part 1

Rose finished the preparation of the polyjuice potion. It was a blow to get horn dust from bicorn, since the species lived in Australia and the country wasn't exporting more to Europe due to trade sanctions. The price of powder grass was exorbitant in regular trade. One could also find it on the black market, but there was no guarantee that the product was legitimate. In Rosenhein's small, warm, dark apartment, she rubbed her eyes, got up, did a quick stretch. She missed Quidditch, the short time she was a professional player. Damn war, damn supremacism that took away the good life. Now she was a spy, an advanced agent of rebel intelligence, forced to stay away from her family and a quiet life. The job was basically to get information, perform strategic tasks and, more recently, find out the whereabouts of Quinn Fabray.

"Rose." Scorpius entered the apartment with the face of a few friends. He was greeted by his wife with a wet kiss on the lips.

"I finished preparing our supply of polyjuice. Hey, there is no one in the apartment and I desperately need an orgasm."

"Rose..." Scorpius stroked his wife's face and couldn't even be tempted by the possibility of sex. In case, a good fuck that went straight to the point.

"Whatever it was, it can wait fifteen minutes," She insisted.

"Rose... I got a message from your parents. You must travel to Angola today."

"How many nannies does Santana Lopez need to have in the refugee camp?"

"The location of the camp was discovered and security was compromised."

"Damn." Rose became aware of the gravity of the situation. "Was there a confrontation?"

"Yes..." Scorpius closed his eyes and handed the piece of note.

Rose read the message, but the emotional impact of the words made her dumb for a moment. She couldn't understand the message, however clear and objective it was. The message said that Hugo was dead and she simply couldn't accept it.

...

All that nobody wanted to see was a cemetery formed in the middle of the plateau region of Angola. No one even hoped that Europe starting from command in England would have the courage to make a direct attack on foreign territory. The incident was a monumental political coup against the southern chancellor, Lugonu Mbaya, whose competence was questioned. The international press largely echoed the case, and the photo that most circulated in the wizarding world, after the image of Hermione Granger crying for her lost son, was taken during the collective funeral. Newspapers generally reported that two of the attackers were in custody and would be tried. Lily refused to give interviews. The refugees were instructed to not talk at all. In the midst of the commotion, the press also discovered and published the news of Lily's pregnancy, which accelerated her urgency to refuge in a safe place.

Santana was sympathetic to the death of all her fellow refugees, but she was annoyed at the circus that had turned her supposed death, even though nothing has been said or shown. She followed all the movements of the refugee camp in the village of Ruboni, closest to Uagadou. She was in a house of a friend of Adilah while she waited for the signal to leave for Europe. She wanted to vomit when she saw Lily's photograph as a widow. The chosen one hated this kind of farce.

"We're going to Egypt by train and we're going to catch a plane to Turkey." Drimi was going over the plan while pointing the locations on the map. "Our units will meet us near the triple border in a week, right before we're going to move to Greece."

Greece would be the first battleground because it was a significant community, subsidized by Bulgaria, which was greatly undermined by European policies. It's a perfect and symbolic place to free the cradle of the West against retrograde policies. That was clear to Santana.

"Lopez." Another man caught the attention of the chosen one. "Correspondence."

Santana picked up the mail and decided to retreat to one of the rooms when she saw who the sender was. She took care to protect the room acoustically, opened the letter and threw it into the air. The object floated in front of Santana and transfigured herself with features of Lily's face.

 _"Babe, I hope you're well. I hate all this, I hate this theater! But if it's to give you a small advantage, then so be it. I just talked to my mom. We're both going to the United States tonight. I'm nervous. This is the first time we've separated since Hogwarts, and right now I'm pregnant. That's not fair..." The voice was crying, which cut into Santana's heart. "Anyway, they asked to warn that Albus, Scorpius, Marley and Lysander are already on their way. They should arrive at any time after this letter arrives in your hands. Rose aren't on board. She can't do it right now. Honestly, no one can. I wanted to be with you. I love you with all my being. Your Lily."_

Santana listened to the spoken letter two more times before picking it up, folding it and holding it in the old backpack that survived the explosion and debris of the dormitory building. She encountered Drimi, Finn, and Danvers, who were eagerly waiting to board.

"We'll have to wait for Albus to arrive." Santana reported. "You have a day to go around the city. I'll stick around."

"You should take the polyjuice potion and walk with us. It's good for relieving pre-trip anxiety."

"Don't worry, Hudson. I have to stay to resolve some issues with the African Confederation."

"Isn't it funny? Confederations are on our side!" Finn watched with genuine admiration.

"Do you know why they're funding us?" Santana said rather coolly. "Because Europe is making a global loss. It isn't good business for supremacist politics to continue. But as there are political treaties, they can't get their hands dirty directly. That's where we come in. If it were not for them, we wouldn't even have reached Turkey."

"I never thought that way."

"There is no free lunch, Hudson. There is always someone who pays for some reason."

"That doesn't seem honorable to me."

"Don't confuse the cause with naivety. Our motives are still fair. Unfortunately, there is this counterpoint."

"What else do you think of doing, other than taking over Europe and facing Evans?"

"I have my private list. What is yours?"

"I want to rebuild my life in my homeland."

"Is Rachel in your plans?"

"I'm not sure." Finn stared at his sister-in-law. "Does that bother you?"

"That's a question you should ask my sister. My opinion doesn't matter."

"It matters to me."

Santana sighed and sat down. She began to make an imaginary drawing on the wood of the table with the tip of the index finger of her left hand.

"Rachel wants everything very intensely. But not everything she desires does her really well. The ideal in a relationship is to balance and support each other and vice versa, you know? This is more important than sex and these more physical things. The couple needs to be in tune with joy and sadness, health and pain. I have this with Lily, but I don't know if you have this with Rachel. Your presence here makes me think not."

"Should I ever break up with her at all?"

"That's up to you, Hudson. You only asked for my opinion, I can't answer for you."

"Lopez!" Drimi entered the house, interrupting the conversation between Finn and Santana. A kind of conversation they never had time to perform.

"What's it?"

"They arrived."

Santana nodded. The elite troops had arrived and it was time to leave once more.

…

"You will enter the United States with another identity and under the effect of the polyjuice potion." Harry instructed Ginny and Lily during the small meeting that was taking place in one of the rooms of the Bungu administration mansion.

"I'm going with you." Ginny hugged her daughter. "I'll follow your pregnancy closely, sweetheart. I want to see my first granddaughter born healthy and strong."

"You'll stay in the States until it's safe," Harry reinforced.

"It will never be safe until the supremacists are in power," Ginny grunted. "That's why I'm going to accompany Lily to Kohadjo. I wouldn't be surprised if Samuel and Zabini sent murderers there as well."

"Zabini?" Harry paused for a moment. "Didn't I tell you? Zabini is dead. He was assassinated in one of the receptions promoted by the Ministry of Magic to the European rich men."

"That's..." Ginny was speechless for a moment. "Animator. Was it one of ours?"

"The group who did it was acting independently. But this is an information that we should keep away from Santana as long as possible." Harry explained.

"Why?" Lily was curious.

"Because, apparently, Zabini was killed by Juan Lopez. He and Quinn Fabray were captured."

"Oh god!" Lily brought her hand to her mouth. "Santana will freak out..."

...

Samuel up his zipper and reached for the short-sleeved shirt that was in the chair. He buttoned up quietly, checked his appearance in the mirror, and ran his hand through his long blond hair and short beard. He was fit, with well-designed muscles, cultivated thanks to an hour a day in which he dedicated himself to the physical exercises between bodybuilding and the race around the property of the mansion. What would a muggle think if it saw Samuel? Perhaps it would say that he was a very rich man, probably an heir, who doesn't have to work to live, but still has a story due to the scars.

Samuel was still a very vain man. What overwhelmed him most was the power he could exert over others. He detested politics, had little fuss over anyone's well-being, but he liked the sense that he had the ability to seal someone's fate as if he were the lord of life and death. How could he not think that way? After all, he, Samuel Evans, from a mediocre and despised student at Hogwarts, became the central character, the greatest symbol of the victory of an ideology that supposedly represented the strength, power, and superiority of a pure race.

With the death of Blaise Zabini, he himself started to run a country. It wasn't from the Ministry of Magic, but he thought meetings were enough to run a country. He thought his subordinates were faithful, for he had taken away many of his friends from poverty and given status and power.

Samuel looked at the bed in disarray (condition that it would change as soon as he left the room and allowed the house elves to enter, leaving everything spotless) and saw a very beaten blond, naked woman sitting with her back against the head of the bed and hugging her own legs. Samuel thought of her with some irritation. He possessed her in every way he wanted, in every position he could imagine. He used her and more than abused her. He used violence when he wanted to, he was affectionate when he wanted to, he made her bleed, made her pink skin turn red and purple, yet there was the woman with her eyes fixed straight ahead, as if she were indifferent to everything. It was frustrating to have her body, but not the heart and soul, as he longed for. Even if he had her heart and soul, would it make a difference to someone who darkened his own to the point of understanding only power relations?

"Dress," he ordered. "I want to have breakfast at your side."

Quinn Fabray looked at him with contempt, but obeyed. She got up from the spacious bed and dressed in the robe she was given. Quinn made no attempt to straighten her hair or to watch over her own dignity. From her point of view, she was there as a woman who was caught on a mission, and even if she had been transformed into a sex slave, she still kept her mind in the work she had to do. Quinn clung to that idea as if life depended on it. It was her condition to continue living.

Quinn escorted Samuel out of the room, down the steps, until they reached the canopy. There were a few employees running around, among security guards and general household workers, as well as the elves who avoided being seen.

"Would you like to read the paper, sir?" The clerk asked, but Samuel asked him to hand the paper over to Quinn, who didn't call.

"Serve the coffee." The table was served with care and refinement. He used the good manners he learned in living with high society. "You should stop being dumb and start enjoying it. This can all be yours if you want."

"No, thank you." Quinn didn't touch the food.

"Don't you want to read the news?"

"I don't want to read fiction."

"It's not fiction."

"It's an extremely edited piece of paper, censored and filled with news stories. In the end, this is fiction. With the difference that the style of the newspaper text is bad literature."

"Always the rebel of supposed resistance." Samuel ignored. "You should accept that your little group is dead and buried."

"That's what you want me to believe."

"She is dead."

"Mounting photographs is a very old technique and masterminded by Muggles. Santana has no scratches and the world keeps spinning." The truth was that the news was very persuasive, but Quinn clung to the sixth sense she had about Santana: that the chosen one was alive. It was a certainty that was fixed in Quinn's heart.

"Let's just say she's alive. Let's say resistance is on its feet. And? What difference will that make? You are in the most protected place in England and your friends won't save you here."

"My salvation will be their victory."

"She won't save you! She's dead!" Samuel punched the table that made the food, cutlery, and other objects leap. Quinn knew how to identify others' wounds, even when she herself was in terrible condition. It was the only good taste she could experience in the midst of so much gall.

"Why do you hate her so much? Taking away the pranks everyone else had, I never saw Santana confront you at Hogwarts, not even when you were with Brittany. Not even when you came back from the supposed retreat as a death eater. Do you hate her for it? Because she doesn't give a shit about someone like you?"

"I don't hate Santana. I hate what she stands for. Daughter of a migrant, dyke, half-blood, muggle lover."

"No... that's your racism talking. It concerns the hatred given to a group, but not to the individual. You hate Santana. Why?"

"If I answer you, what do I get?"

"There is nothing here that you have not already taken. I have nothing left."

Samuel looked at Quinn and was thoughtful. She didn't know whether to embark on her game or not. Perhaps it was risky to give her information that could weaken him. On the other hand, why not? Quinn had already lost the game.

"Santana and I are two sides of the same coin."

"You wish," Quinn snapped. "Santana is naturally powerful and has leadership. Yet, she doesn't care. With or without prophecy, she is what she is. She didn't have to be fabricated. But you did. You have been indoctrinated. You had to burn your own skin to make a powerful wand and convince yourself that it was part of a prophecy. Don't you realize? She is a galleon and you are a knut wanting to be a galleon. Worst of all is that the condition for you to have what you want depends directly on what she is. That's bother you. That's why you so badly want to kill her. "

"I don't need. She is dead."

"Even if this is true, the idea of the hippogriff is still alive and it plagues you."

"Shut up." Samuel began to scratch the table with the point of the knife. Quinn knew this was an important wound, but it wasn't the main one.

"Besides, I love her as much as I hate you. I offered freely my body to her, my whole being. Even though she loved another woman, I still fully gave in and I can say that when she possessed me, it was the happiest moment of my life. I've given her something you will never have, no matter how much you rape me."

Samuel jumped up on Quinn's face so hard that her already frail body swayed and fell from the chair. Samuel, out of control, got up and kicked Quinn on the floor, hitting her on the legs, stomach and back.

"You're going to rot in a cell, Fabray! Your privilege is over! Everything's over! You'll fade, but I won't let you die. Not until you watch me killing all your friends."

Quinn spat blood, felt her body cracking in half. Still, she couldn't be more pleased. This was the only way she could beat him, and she hit the target.

...

Two Eastern-bound women went to the migration queue at JFK airport in New York. They were dressed in formal dress, as if they were executives of some company. They wore small luggage, typical of those who would spend only a few days in one place. When they arrived at the ticket booth, they presented the passports and the necessary documentation to enter the United States. The agent of the migration was impressed by the strong London accent of the supposed Japanese women. Either way, the agent smiled in a protocol manner and allowed the women to enter with work visas. If he had the magical ability, the agent would notice that the documents had been transfigured into pamphlets of a tourist agency found inside the plane along with the institutional magazines of the airline. The passports had also transfigured themselves. The two belonged to the British citizens named Ginevra Molly Potter and Lilian Luna Potter II.

The "Japanese" left the airport undisturbed. There was no one waiting for them, which meant everything was in order. Even exhausted by their flight hours, they stopped nowhere and went straight to Pennsylvania Station, where they were to board the only wizard who existed in the United States and who made the route from all east coast, including passing through the Ilvermorny wizarding school. Ginny had already taken such an expresso once, but for Lily, that was the first time she'd made such a route. They bought a cabin, made a quick snack, and closed it with the "no-nonsense" sign hanging on the door.

The effect of the polyjuice potion has passed. Instead of Japanese, the interior of the express booth had two redheads. Ginny looked out the window and enjoyed the scenery. She had been a few times in the United States, and she couldn't say it was an interesting experience: nothing but bureaucratic visits with her husband. Lily, for her part, had been in the United States clandestinely, and her experience was much more exciting on Santana's side.

"It's a beautiful country," Ginny observed.

"I can't believe my daughter is going to be born American," Lily grunted.

"There's nothing wrong with being American, Lily. Don't be sour. Your girlfriend's family is American. Didn't you ever stop to think we'd complain about it for offending our hosts?"

"Santana would agree with me."

"Are you sure you're not married yet?" Ginny teased. "There are times when you talk and do things just like her."

Lily looked at her mother with a certain melancholy. It was the plan that Lily and Santana had to marry before Santana embarked definitively for Europe. But it wasn't possible. Not after the tragedy that had happened in the refugee camp.

The trip, as desired, followed without disturbances. The plan to arrive without attracting attention and staying that way until Kohadjo was as planned. Even the little upsets were within range, including the swelling of Lily's feet. Ginny watched her daughter sitting on the opposite bench: Lily was drinking some water and her feet were on the bench. Ginny remembered her three pregnancies: the tranquility of James and Albus, and the complications she had with Lily. The youngest was the only Caesarean born in a Muggle hospital because Lily wasn't in the right position. Due to a surgical complication (and the discovery of a tumour in one of the ovaries, which was removed), the doctor had said that it wouldn't be wise for Ginny and Harry to have more kids, disrupting the couple's plan to have five.

It took just over eight hours from New York to the final station in Kohadjo, Maine. At that point, there were very few passengers on the express. Only five people went down in the small station. Of those five, the two women who no longer hid their identities. They were also received at the station by Sue Sylvester, Shelby, David and Lauren Corcoran, as well as Rachel Berry. Lily hugged the sister-in-law she hadn't seen in a long time. A tight embrace, longing, full of love.

"Have you had a good trip?" Shelby asked Ginny after they greeted each other.

"We had no problems, despite the situation," Ginny replied without explaining further details.

"Did you ever see her?" Shelby asked.

"When I got to Bungu, Santana had already left."

"She wasn't well," Lily said seriously. "When we said goodbye, she said she didn't want to leave me, but that she had no choice. I hate this."

"Do you know where she is now?" Shelby was eager for information.

"If everything is on the scheduled, she must be in Turkey by this time," Lily informed them. "Communication won't be easy, but she promised me that she would do her best."

"Girls!" Sue Sylvester interrupted. "I know you're hungry for news, but it's late and we need shelter."

Kohadjo was news to Ginny and Lily that they could only really enjoy the next morning. At night and during, even if it was early spring, there wasn't much to see except the misty landscape with dim lights. The walk was short, as Sylvester's house wasn't far from the station. Already inside the warm interior of the house, Rachel helped Lily with the jacket and the luggage. Shelby did the same to Ginny. Lauren was introduced, and she was astonished to think that this beautiful young redhead in front of her was pregnant with her oldest granddaughter. It was even more surreal to believe that Santana was leader in a war that the Muggle world even dreamed of existing.

"Do you know what the baby's sex is?" Lauren asked cautiously. She didn't want to be indiscreet.

"It's a girl."

"Oh, how wonderful! Does she already have a name?"

"This is a delicate discussion, which Santana and I haven't decided yet."

"Let me guess: My sister showed you a list of character names from sci-fi and fantasy films, which are usually horrible." Rachel smiled discreetly.

"Finally somebody who understand me!" Lily nodded to Rachel and touched her belly, a gesture that was observed by everyone.

"Do you ever feel her move?" Shelby asked. Her eyes glittered.

"All the time," Lily smiled. "She's so agitated, I think she'll be a great chaser in Quidditch."

"No way!" Shelby said without thinking. "My granddaughter practicing this horrific and violent sport? No way! If I could, I would have forbidden Santana to do so."

Lily and Ginny exchanged glances and Rachel let out a nervous laugh. There were aspects of the witch culture that a muggle would never understand. Rachel unwittingly broke the protocol and over-formality that was taking place at the meeting. Her laughter soon turned into a cry, whose tears fell freely. She had a sister and a husband she still liked in the midst of a war. She herself was still a target. Lily had a whole family on the battlefield. It was a desperate situation. Lily started to cry with Rachel and they hugged each other. The scene moved the older ones, who, despite wanting to pose as strong, they could feel the pain.

Later, after Sylvester had offered tea and biscuits to the new arrivals, David, Shelby, and Lauren returned to the room of their boarding house since they arrived in town three days earlier. Sylvester's place was large, but not so much to house so many guests. Shelby had an intimate life with David, and Lauren didn't know the auror so well to feel good in someone else's house. Rachel occupied the room she and Santana used to spend the holidays they spent in the small town. Lily chose to share a room with Rachel rather than her mother.

"How is he?" Rachel asked Lily. She was sitting on the bed, her back against the wall. Lily was in a similar position on the opposite bed in the small room.

"Finn was fine. He's very dedicated, always supporting Santana even in the most idiotic decisions."

"He is too stupid." Rachel complained and then silently mumbled. "He wasn't happy, you know? He couldn't adapt. To be honest, neither am I. I could only feel good when I practiced hiding. But at least I tried."

"What do you intend to do from now on?"

"I don't want to go to war, Lily. We spent a year fleeing from city to city in Europe, witnessing governments coming down like dominoes. The great truth is that I freaked out."

"I also wanted to freak out a few times," Lily confessed. "But I couldn't because of your sister. I needed to be strong for her. Santana is very powerful, but she is more fragile than you think. She carries all this weight of the world, and she has that feeling of guilt that sometimes is unbearable. Don't think that I find it normal to spend three years of my life going from country to country, going under the radar, running away and facing killers on several occasions. I've seen incredible things, I've known incredible places, but don't think it was easy."

"I have a good idea of what happened." Rachel nodded to her sister-in-law.

"I almost gave up, you know? Just like you."

"When?"

"In India, when I got sick from stress and other things. I spent a week vomiting and with fever. We didn't find any healers nearby. Santana was desperate. She did her best, prepared medicinal potions with what she had in her hands. Nothing worked. She called my mother, who brought in aspirin, fruit salt, vermifuge, and muggles whey solution. That's what saved me. Of course, I blamed Santana on a particularly bad day, I almost leave with my mother."

"What made you stay next to my sister?"

"You will laugh."

"Try it."

"She said she loved me, she understood my frustration and revolt, and maybe it was time to go back to Europe and face the front."

"And?"

"Quinn Fabray was on the front."

"Oh..." Rachel's eyes widened, and then she understood everything. "Oh!" And began to laugh. Lily laughed a little too, then turned serious again.

"Of course I stayed, because I'm absolutely and completely crazy about Santana. But the other party reacted to the competition. Santana didn't even mention her name. She didn't need to. I know full well that by the time I leave the scene, even for a second, Quinn won't miss the opportunity to squeeze her claws. Literally! Quinn is an Animagus, did you know that?

"No, I didn't know."

"She's a hawk. What is likely that her patronus is also a hawk, or a bird of prey. My patronus is a horse, and Santana is a hippogriff..."

"And? I'm not following you in that part."

"It was an explanation I once heard from a specialist in Iran. The connection of a couple is greater when it has related patronus. The hippogriff is half horse, half eagle, with the heart of a lion. My patronus corresponds to a half of Santana. Quinn would be the other. I represent loyal, trustworthy, solid love, the earth. Quinn would be passionate, untamed, possessive love, air."

"Do you really believe that?" Rachel passed her patronus, a sparrow, and Finn, a fish. They were even animals of the same kind. Perhaps this is an explanation for them not to function as a couple, even if they love each other.

"I don't know if I believe. I just know that our background has many coincidences. Anyway, none of that matters."

"You have my niece to raise."

"Niece and goddaughter." Lily touched her belly, feeling the growing fetus in her womb move.

"Really?" Rachel smiled.

"Oh really! You and Albus will be her godparents. What do you say?

"Of course!" Rachel rose to embrace Lily.

After the moment of euphoria, the reflection again.

"Are we going to make it?" Lily wondered.

"Absolutely!" Rachel tried to make the most of her confidence.

Rachel smiled. She knew her task was hers as well. She knew she could not go wrong: she could no longer escape the war. The war came to her in the form of a great responsibility: to help protect Lilian Potter and her unborn niece.

...

Azkaban was, in fact, the only maximum security prison for wizards in Europe. There were three others around the world: in Africa, America, and a small one in Asia. International agreements determined that the administration was from the United Kingdom and therefore the Ministry of Magic had priority in the conduct of security and in the prisoners' hand. The administration of Kingsley Shacklebold and Hermione Granger were the most humanistic of all times on the penitentiary issue. The administration of Blaise Zabini via Samuel Evans brought the dementors back and made prisoners again treated as human waste in an unhealthy environment. Now that Zabini was dead, Samuel appointed Noah Puckerman to administer Azkaban. In a few weeks, things got worse.

It was to this environment that Samuel Evans sent Quinn Fabray without right to any right. In addition to all the other opponents, first and second generation's half blood and muggles born who couldn't take refuge. From Evans' luxurious and overprotected grounds, Quinn was arrested and taken through the floo network to Azkaban. The verdict was pronounced by Evans himself, as if he were both a judge and a judge at the same time.

"Get dressed. You're going to go through the sorting" said the jailer to a completely naked Quinn Fabray.

Quinn picked up her thick cotton black-and-white striped cotton uniform and pulled on her trousers and coat. She felt much better in those outfits than in the luxurious robe she wore between the rapes. She had a thin sole slipper at her disposal, and she was fine with it, too. The jailer led her to a larger room and left her alone. Quinn stood in the middle of the room, not knowing what to do or what to expect. If only she could transfigure and become a hawk, she might escape. But Azkaban had inhibiting spells. Even if she got a wand, somehow, she would have to flee the Azkaban complex to transform herself.

A door was opened and a dementor came out. Quinn stared at the dark creature, which was growing among fungi. She would be lying if the gesture was courage. She was terrified. The creature surrounded her. It sucked in energy, withdrawing in a few seconds the remnants of good memories Quinn still had, leaving only despair, coldness, and emptiness. In a paradox, the experience of emptiness could be one of the most intense. Quinn dropped to her knees and bled. It was an abortion that suffered, which, in a way, made her relieved. Her body was too weak and Quinn fainted in the cold, dirty floor.

...

Santana looked at the sizeable multinational army. There were people there that she considered to be from her own family, like Albus, Finn, and Mike. There were friends and important allies, like Marley, Scorpius, Glory Watson, Aurora Bloom, Danvers, Drimi, the Scamanders twins. And there were the elders who were there to help her with the most important decisions, such as Harry Potter and Ron Weasley, as well as aurors like Athena, and local leaders. There was also a small mass of ordinary people who were willing to fight to regain what was theirs.

From the triple border between Turkey, Greece and Bulgaria, they could see the Maritsa River, Turkey's large customs complex, which was the gateway to the West. Beyond was the Bulgarian city of Kapitan, and next to it, on the other side of the river, the tiny Greek city Dikaia.

"The way is clear to Thessalonica." A Greek ally informed the hippogriff. "No one is waiting for your arrival. The resistance will be few. We're not going to have a problem getting the parliament."

Santana nodded. She put the old bag on her back and climbed up on the broom. All the others did the same with the transports that were at hand. It was time.

Greece was the country with the sixth largest wizarding population in Europe, behind the United Kingdom, France, Norway, Bulgaria and Spain. Despite this, due to numerous historical processes, the country had little political representation and had a parliament added to the Bulgarian. War in Greece was the same as declaring war on Bulgaria. But Bulgaria was, alongside France, the country where there was more popular resistance to the totalitarian regime. Hence the sequence was strategic, beyond symbolism.

There was a certain feud between the Greeks and the English about being the home of the oldest wizards in the Western world. The Greeks had earlier historical records, but the British advocated the island's high mystical energy (which was a fact). According to studies, the Durringtons were the country's first wizarding family, and built Stonehenge as an energetic catalyst. Stonehenge would have been the site of the world's first witchery school. There was a single self-declared descendant of the Durringtons: Madan Leticia Frye, who ran the only English circus group, but no one took her seriously.

Historical divergences aside, Santana flew toward Thessalonica with odd determination. Before they reached the town, which housed a village and parliament, they crossed with the first security group. The resistance of the Greeks was minimal. Santana didn't even need to conjure attacks, since her allies easily defeated the group in quick aerial combat.

The Greek ally indicated the place of descent. The group was faced with a ruin of Roman times. The Greek ally stood at the head of the group and touched the ground with the tip of his wand. Then one of the entrances to the parliament was opened. Santana separated the group. She ordered the parliament and the village to be taken simultaneously. And so it was done. The Greek ally was the first to appear in parliament, followed by Santana. The security group soon attacked, but they were fighting some of the more skillful wizards in addition to the hippogriff. A Greek security group conjured at the same time an incendiary spell. They didn't care that, mixed there, they were also allied fighting the rebels. They wanted to incinerate everyone without distinction. In an incredible show of power and control, Santana conjured up a protective barrier that spanned the entire group. People stopped dueling to watch. With communal effort, she held back the flames and concentrated them on a ball the size of an armchair. It was amazing for those numerous eyes.

"Help!" Santana shouted at her companions. She couldn't lose the luxury and deconcentrate.

Scorpius, Marley, and Albus overthrew the arsonists. Harry Potter conjured a bubble around the fireball that, as it consumed the oxygen inside, began to fade. The arsonists were shot down by the other allies.

"Is everything okay?" Harry asked Santana, who was visibly tired.

"Let's get the minister and take the parliament," she assured him.

Santana advanced in the hall. Some officials who couldn't escape during the confrontation simply stood, watching. Some applauded as the group passed by. Some asked to join the fight. There was no more significant resistance to the cabinet.

Santana entered the room and found the old man "worthily" waiting for death, which didn't come.

"You're smaller and thinner than I expected. Still, you manages to be imposing." The minister noted with little humour. "Mr. Potter, it's been a while."

"Certainly, Kominis."

"Miss Lopez, are you going to kill me now? Or will you just arrest me as a war prisoner?"

Santana, with a touch of wand, disarmed the minister, that wasn't even intent on resisting. In Kaminis's fanciful mind, he would like to become a martyr. Each with its megalomanias. Then he sat in the chair at his desk.

"Let's negotiate a little. I need information. Normally, I would give you the benefit of the doubt about freely saying everything I need to know. But you must understand that we don't have that luxury."

Scorpius advanced, and with the aid of other aurors, made the man drink Serum Snape's serum of truth. Despite the forced gesture, the first thing the minister confessed under the potion was that he was relieved that Santana wasn't a butcher like Samuel Evans. Obviously, he would be removed from office, but he wouldn't be assaulted. Half an hour later, entitled to many key notes for the next steps, the agents of the cause visited the radio station of the Greek community, which managed to reach parts of Macedonia and Bulgaria. They recorded a message in a loop.

"The hippogriff flew over the Aegean Sea. The corrupt parliament fell. Long live the cause. Long live freedom!"

It was enough to incite a popular revolt in Bulgaria, making Santana's task much easier.

...

"You are pregnant?"

"Don't be so surprised. We're never careful."

"How much time?"

"About twelve weeks."

"Twelve weeks? This is a long time. Why didn't you tell me before?"

"I was waiting you to be sick of playing with Fabray."

Samuel tried to read the 17-year-old girl in front of him. Kitty Wilde had recently returned from a disfigured Hogwarts (the Gryffindor house had ceased to exist and the former pupils banished), with a loose, trivial and ideologically driven curriculum for students to embrace the new supremacist order as if it were the only one could preserve the wizarding world. It was a young death eater (or revolutionary agent, to use the modern term), just like the rest of the family. His father, Todd Wilde, was one of those released by the amnesty decree of the "revolutionaries" commanded by Samuel and Zabini, so there was some dependence on the traditional family with the cause. She was no longer a virgin when Samuel first had her.

Kitty's honesty, even when used for manipulative purposes, was appreciated by the Lord of Darkness. But did ne love her? No. After the disappointment he had with Quinn Fabray, then darkened his soul in the initiation ritual of the Order of the Pure, then split it up with the murder of Brittany Pierce, he might no longer be able to love. He didn't want to say, however, that he didn't feel appreciation or desires. Besides, whether or not Kitty loved it, the teenager was pregnant and an heir was always a form of eternity. Wasn't the prophecy that said that the conflict between him and her chosen one would determine the new king whose legacy would be perpetuated by the heirs (probably sons, although heirs may have another meaning)?

"Say something!" Kitty shook Samuel's arm as he turned over.

"That's good news." Samuel smiled.

"Do you want to have it?"

"Of course, Kitty. Why would not he? It's my son. "Samuel smiled softly and kissed Kitty's lips.

"You mean we're staying together?" Kitty asked hopefully.

"It means that you and my son will be treated appropriately. Now, if you'll excuse me."

Samuel kissed Kitty on the forehead and left the mansion-fortress by the network of floo mounted exclusively for him. Kitty, left behind, tried not to be hurt. Samuel had done some terrible things, but he wasn't yet a dark lord so terrible and articulate as Voldemort. There was sense and there was glamor in the lover's actions. What she didn't want to accept was that evil, mess and chaos didn't necessarily look like a snake. It didn't mean that the attitudes taken by someone young and still attractive, despite the scars, couldn't be less grotesque.

Samuel emerged at the gathering of the highest summit that could exist in Europe in a secret room located in the Monastery of Kotti. As was the tradition, he put on the wizard hat that helped to channel the energies better. He smiled to the people: the 15 men and the only woman who was part of the Order of the Pure. He is the youngest among the 17 members. Samuel took a chair at the head of the meeting table in the secular hall and was accompanied by the other members of what should have been the superior caste among the most influential blood bacons in Europe and who he thought was a direct heir to the wizards who were born directly from the force of magic generated by the cosmos, so they were pure, like gods of Olympus, heirs of the titans. The story was nothing more than a fable forgotten in time, but permeated the beliefs in the superiority of those people in relation to the others.

"Pure eaterna sempor," said the young man at the opening of the session.

"Et aeterna puritate" The others answered.

"I received the message of this extraordinary meeting called by Mr. Dolohov. What it is?"

"Lopez's death was an articulated trick with the African Confederation. She is alive and well on European soil." Dolohov stood up. "She and her army attacked and seized Greece, Macedonia and Bulgaria in a week. Our intelligence service doesn't yet know what her next step is."

"A week?" Samuel raised his voice, which shook the place. He made it clear that he might even be questioned and detested by some of the commanders, but it was he who held the power. "Did it take you a week to let me know?"

"Sir..." The Austrian chancellor tried to argue.

"Avada Kedavra!" Samuel murdered a member of the order of the pure by out of control.

The others, frightened by the lack of control and discomfort, restrained themselves. The dark lord had been emotionally unstable since Zabini, who was like father to him, was killed by the hands of Juan Lopez. Samuel, of all of them, was the only one who was able to build the wand, and it was not yet known what the exact extent of the powers he channeled.

"My Lord!" Dolohov, as second mentor, had a little more freedom to speak more firmly. "We can't lose allies at this moment when Lopez entered our territory demonstrating strength."

"What are we waiting for? Let's attack her!"

"It's not that simple," the French chancellor said, already afraid of being murdered at the table. "The news is spreading like fire in the haystack. There are popular uprisings being recorded in France, Spain and Italy. I need to control my territory."

"We have managed to shield England and the rest of the UK from the news that is spreading. But we do not know until when that will be possible." Dolohov reported.

"We need to make a direct attack."

"Yes!" Samuel shook his head and tried to channel everything Zabini had told him. "But we also need to undermine it emotionally. She will make fatal mistakes if she acts on impulse."

"Are you talking about Juan Lopez?" Dolohov gave a small smile.

"Find out where she is and send me my gift. I'm sure she'll love it." Samuel smiled.

...

Viktor Krum got in the mansion he had abandoned two years earlier. Declared sympathizer of Hermione Granger (not necessarily her government), he publicly defended her during the coup in the United Kingdom, and went on to be persecuted inside Bulgaria. Because of this, he needed to leave the country together with his wife and three kids to exile in Ukraine. Ukraine was a kind of Muggle's Switzerland: it always remained neutral in the face of international conflicts. Krum's eldest son, Nikola, had returned to the country six months earlier to join the rebel forces. With the reconquest of Bulgaria by the Order of Hippogriff and aided by international forces, Krum left the Ukraine and returned to Bulgaria to review the son and the country he was forced to leave.

"See this wall?" Krum showed a wall of rubble inside the mansion. "I had secular tiles that told the story of my family. Bastards."

Scorpius was accompanying Hermione's good friend inside the vandalized residence. Hu and Albus, as well as Nikola Krum himself, listened attentively to what the almost sixtieth man had to say.

"Your in-laws came to visit me once," Viktor told Scorpius. "Your wife were at Hogwarts, so they brought your little brother-in-law. He played the piano along with my Nina." Nina Krum was Viktor's wife. "I'm very sorry he died in this war."

"Thank you," Scorpius said softly. Hugo's death was recent. It hurt a lot to think about it.

While Viktor and other exiles returned to the homes of the village of Bakyovo, in the province of Sofia, the army of the order of Hippogriff used the structures of the place to recover from the attacks. Santana was in the administration office of the Quidditch stadium, where the main games were held in the country and hosted all national team matches. She talked to Harry Potter, Ronald Weasley, Ebo, Drimi, and lead cell leaders and other resistance groups.

"We can't leave Bulgaria at our mercy after we leave." Athena Milles countered Drimi, who was in a hurry to reach Italy. The Auror argued that the group needed to stay for at least another week in Bulgaria before crossing the Balkans to the border with Italy. The information she had, beyond experience, said that was the best decision.

"That's why the Bulgarians are now meeting to establish a provisional government until the elections," Santana said without taking her eyes off the map.

"But we need them to move on." Drimi again appealed.

"It is up to us to pursue whoever wishes to go forward." Santana countered. "I will not force anyone to join the entourage."

"I agree in part, Lopez." Harry sat down next to his daughter-in-law. "You have to ask for a counterpoint, or we will not be able to get to England in good volume."

"Which country is the strongest popular uprising?" Santana asked Athena, ignoring her father-in-law.

"France."

"And where does the uprising happen, but timidly?"

"In Germany," Athena said.

"Let's go there."

"Why?" Drimi revolted.

"Because the chance of the French solving their own problems is greater than that of the Germans. Gabrielle Delacour is a smart leader who has all the ingredients she needs to topple the Paris Congress. Not to mention that we break with a linearity that can make our enemies predict our movements." Santana placed pins on the map. "With the exception of Ukraine, all of Romania's East to Scandinavia is shifting people to the defense of their respective parliaments. It means that the west is being left on its own. Germany has an expressive wizarding population and it represents a breakdown of a linear progression. The British government may be confused with our move."

"It's not a bad review, Lopez." Harry praised it.

"But what about Italy?" Drimi complained.

"All in due time, my friend."

"Santana!" Finn stepped into the office where the dome was assembled. He was red and breathless, so Santana stood up suddenly. "We captured two English emissaries. Or rather... they surrendered... anyway... they're downstairs with a box saying it's a welcome gift from Evans to you."

"Of course this is a trap." Harry tried to stop Santana. He and a few others were hiding some information from the chosen one, and his intuition told him that Santana was about to find out.

"I know."

Santana left the office jumping out of the window and landing unharmed next to the prisoners, who had been taken to the lawn inside the Quidditch stadium. The flight was always an impressive move, though she had no such intention. Santana was just in a bit of a hurry.

"Okay..." Santana stared at the two men, kneeling and tied. "What's the message from that loser?"

"Master Evans has told you that Quinn Fabray is being treated very well on the premises of Azkaban."

"What?" Santana's heart soared. No one had said that Quinn had been captured. She thought her best friend was in France.

"Master Evans sent you this gift. Only you can open it."

It was a magically closed box. Santana scanned the box in the distance. It was the time of the rest of the group that accompanied her to approach.

"I know that kind of magic artifact," Athena explained. "It's quite rare and difficult to get on the regular or black market. Only the recipient can open it by shedding some blood."

"I hate magic from the darkness," Santana said, already picking up a penknife to cut the palm of her hand.

"Wait!" Weasley warned. "This may be a bomb. If it's your blood you need, put it in a jar, which we'll open in a safe place."

What Ron Weasey said made sense, but Samuel would never send two men to Bulgaria to say that Quinn is in Azkaban and blow it up with a bomb or a plague. Santana cut the palm of her hand and put the blood in the box, which opened in a matter of seconds. What she saw inside the box was worse than any bomb.

It was Juan Lopez's head.


	23. Year 9 - part 2

The campaign in Germany was much more complicated than expected. One month after the reconquest of Bulgaria, the Order of Hippogriff and allies were engaged in a struggle with characteristics of urban guerrilla warfare. In the spotlight, Santana Lopez. There was popular membership to the Cause Army, but the organization of the government was amazing. Germany looked like a magnet with the ability to move forces stationed in other countries to defeat the chosen one. The desire was so great that to lose France, as happened by the strong resistance installed in the country, was considered an acceptable loss.

While the war was alive in Germany, Jeremy Calson was arrested in England. He wasn't even a prisoner of the most wanted. He was just an employee of the sports equipment store that worked in Diagon Alley. He was fired from work and banished from the wizarding world simply by being born muggle. The same Jeremy Calson was cheated and arrested while gossiping the movement at Godric's Hollow. He was arrested in a stupid way along with his muggle younger brother and a half-blooded colleague who was also banished from the wizardry. It was a time when the government wasted no time. The people were sent directly to Azkaban before they were even tried. Opponents occupied a specific wing of the prison while awaiting summary execution. Minor offenders, like Jeremy, occupied other sectors until it was proven that they were involved in some conspiracy.

The agents sent Jeremy and his companions to Azkaban through the floo-net. It wasn't possible to see much about the external situation of the prison, but the place seemed more guarded than it normally could be. The first step in arriving at Azkaban was undressing. The three men stood naked in front of agents who "checked" if there was nothing inside the holes. Fortunately the procedure was done with magic and not with the invasion that happened among Muggles. The three of them were clean. The agents sent the prisoners to a booth.

"Muggle documents. For Merlin, how I hate this scum", said one of the agents as he handed Jeremy's belongings to the booth. "Cedar wood wand and unicorn hair. And those beggar clothes."

"Honestly, I don't know why we didn't burn it right now." The agent receiving the material grunted. The answer not provided in the dialogue was that there was a procedure. He didn't discard someone's belongings until he was executed or given a life sentence. "Muggle? Deplorable!" The officer spat on Jeremy's brother's face.

"These muggles and these mudbloods are getting more and more bold." The other one who drove said with immense disregard.

The new detainees were given striped uniforms of thick cotton, without any underwear. Finally they were referred to the so-called purification room. The three new prisoners were put to their knees, side by side, and the agents withdrew from the room. It was then released the gate from which two dementors came out, bringing the cold and the desolation. Jeremy closed his eyes and a thin silver light enveloped all of them, as if it were a faint atmospheric layer. The dementors tried to beat the men, but it was as if the thin light was a repellent. Eventually the creatures of darkness gave up and ran scared to the study from which they came when the light intensified.

A light was off outside. Sigh that the "session" was over, and it was safe for the agents. They found the three men lying on the floor, panic-stricken, as if they had suffered great trauma.

"Get up!" The officer kicked the Muggle prisoner's back. "Bunch of idiots, come on!"

The three prisoners lifted from the ground, feigning some difficulty and were directed to three distinct wings: each one began to divide a cell with other people. Jeremy was pushed into a cell with four other people, three men and one woman. The woman had an empty stare, as if she didn't care about life any more. The other three men seemed dangerous. They approached Jeremy.

"Fresh meat." The taller one stared at Jeremy. "Don't even think about looking at what is not yours."

"How can a woman divide a cell with three men?" Jeremy ignored the threat, too perplexed by the situation of degradation, disorganization, and discretion within Azkaban.

"She is ours. Either you stay in yours or we'll have problems."

"What's your name?" Jeremy asked the woman over the men's shoulder, but the woman didn't respond. "What's your name?" Jeremy asked again.

"Bianca," the woman replied.

"She's just a muggle and she's ours." Another man threatened.

"Are you abusing a woman just because she's a muggle?"

"They are not ..." The woman replied in a melancholy tone. "They are my brothers and they are protecting me."

Jeremy looked at the occupants of the cell and only then did he notice the resemblance of the features of the face.

"Are you all muggles?" He asked, still pressed by the taller one.

"What difference does it make, wizard? You can't use magic here."

"This question is of extreme relevance..."

The effect of the polyjuice potion began to pass. Suddenly, Jeremy got shorter, his hair began to lengthen, his skin became slightly darker, and his features became feminine.

"You are..." The taller one opened his eyes wide.

"Answer my question," Santana said firmly.

"I'm half-blood," the taller one replied. "My half-sister is muggle and my cousins are squits. We've been stuck for more than two months this hell trying to get to the refugee camp. Where were you?"

"Where are those sentenced to death?" Santana said in a commanding voice, ignoring the initial question. 'Where she was' was the question she'd been asked since she'd stepped foot in Europe after more than two years.

"At higher levels."

"I'll get there and you guys will help me."

"How?" The half-blood was disbelieving.

"Causing pandemonium."

"Once again, how? We don't have wands."

Santana closed her eyes and held out one hand and thought of the booth where the wands of those who came were kept.

"Accio wands."

"They said you were very powerful, but that's fiction for us. There are inhibitors here. You won't make it."

Santana paid no attention. She continued to concentrate, and suddenly dozens of wands began to fly down the corridor to the cell. Santana opened her eyes and faced the perplexity of the occupants.

"What are you waiting for? Hand out the wands and let's all get out of here!"

Santana grabbed three wands randomly and conjured bombarda trimmings to break the lock of the cell. She could have escaped without a wand, but she would be physically exhausted, and she had to save energy to escape Azkaban.

"Release them all!" Santana ran down the hall, opening the cells without discrimination. She didn't have time to figure out who was allied and who really was a criminal.

The wizards came out like a pack.

"You! Follow me!" Commanded the brief cellmates in the chaos that became Azkaban.

As Santana advanced levels above, she was releasing all prisoners without distinction. What she wanted was the chaos, the implosion of Azkaban from the inside out, since, outside, the whole perimeter of the prison was surrounded. There weren't many agents inside Azkaban, whose safety was basically made by dementors. In a scenario of war that settled. A group of prisoners invaded the locker rooms. They weren't interested in retrieving their own things, but in getting a wand. The first who managed to leave Azkaban began to face an epic battle against the innumerable agents that were there by order of Noah Puckerman. Many of the uniformed wizards, like the Nazi military, were frightened by the onslaught of people. There were more than five thousand people imprisoned in Azkaban, and the number was far superior to that of agents. It was a mass in fury, without good memories, without hope, with the desire of revenge and hatred against the oppressors.

"Hold position! Hold your position!"

Puckerman commanded as he tried to keep the furious mass away. But he knew he was going to lose. Whatever had happened inside Azkaban, was something he, as administrator of the prison, couldn't foresee. It was too absurd moving. There had been a discussion since Quinn Fabray was taken to Azkaban to be executed as soon as Samuel commanded. Intelligence was betting that eventually Santana Lopez would try to take the prison to free allies and especially her ex-lover. But since Santana was on the front in Germany, there was a consensus that the rescue attempt wouldn't happen until the group had advanced to England.

Noah Puckerman could never expect a rebellion in Azkaban. And no one could ever expect Santana Lopez to smuggle into England, while the army was fighting in Germany. A chosen one left enough of her biological samples for Athena Milles to get through it for weeks. The plan was a real magic trick. The Order of Hippogriff and allies made the world observe the right hand, while the music happened with the movements of the left hand.

Inside Azkaban, Santana continued to ascend the rebellion where he passed until reaching the sector of isolated prisoners. It was where the opponents and rebels were being captured at some point. The corridor was infested with dementors, who fluttered when they saw the witch.

"Expecto patronum." Santana conjured up using a unknow wand, but it obeyed her. A strong silver light swept the corridor, wiping it from the creatures of darkness.

"Hey." Santana looked back and smiled to see that Marley and Albus had managed to get to the wing.

"We need to break into a cell by cell this time. Don't stop until you can open them all", Santana instructed.

The minutes that followed were a festival of explosions caused by the three wizards. Quickly the corridors began to fill with debris and the prisoners marked to die were leaving. The trio soon realized that the rescue would be complicated because, unlike the other prisoners in other wings, those were very debilitated, dirty in urine and shit. They could barely walk. Santana, Marley and Albus didn't recognize most of them, but by the prisoners' reactions to being released, the trio was well known.

Quinn was found in the third corridor wing. It was Marley who entered her cell. It took Quinn a long time to recognize her cause's partner. Quinn was chained, dirty, looking like she was being tortured day after day. Bloodstains were scattered all over.

"By the gods!" Marley put her hand to Quinn's face. After the shock, she smashed Quinn's chains and held her. "Can you walk?"

"I can try," Quinn said weakly.

"Stand on me."

Quinn didn't hesitate to slip her arm around Marley's shoulders. Her legs were weakening, trembling, not to mention the shame of being in a deplorable state. They managed to get out of the saddle just in time to see Albus and Santana leading the prisoners out of Azkaban.

"For Merlin!" Santana sighed as she saw Quinn's condition. She turned to her brother-in-law. "Al, see if you can bring some prisoners here to help."

The young man nodded and rushed for help. Meanwhile, Santana and Quinn faced each other for the first time in almost four years. Quinn thought of saying many things to Santana when she found her again, making jokes, exploring her usual bad humour. Unfortunately, she couldn't think of anything. Quinn thought the dementors had sucked her into the soul, let alone the humour. Santana didn't wait for words. She gestured with her wand pointed at her friend and made her body float.

"Let's get out of here once and for all," she told everyone as I led Quinn's body through the corridors toward Azkaban's exit.

Arriving in the outer area at the European maximum security prison. Santana, Marley, Albus and others rescued faced a scenario where agents were retreating, while there was widespread celebration with their first direct confrontational victory. Many surrounded Santana, wanting to celebrate the first victory, but the chosen one wasn't in the same mood. She couldn't celebrate after witnessing the deplorable state of her best friend floating beside her. She stepped through the crowd and met the rest of the group that accompanied her on the almost suicidal mission: Finn Hudson, Mike Chang and Lorcan Scamander.

"She's..." Finn was afraid to finish the question.

"Alive. Barely." Santana replied sadly. "Al, Finn, Marley... could you control the situation here?"

"Take her away, San." Albus smiled sadly. "We organize things around here."

"Thanks."

Santana hugged Quinn's body and even though it wasn't the most suitable transportation for someone injured or frail, she disappeared taking Quinn with her.

...

There was silence among Samuel's allies. The battle at Azkaban wasn't foreseen. Worse: Santana Lopez had entered British territory for the first time without anyone noticing. There was no censorship that could hold the word-of-mouth that demoralized him. Santana fucking Lopez fooled everyone and knocked over Azkaban just to rescue her ex-lover. Even Rita Skeeter couldn't invent such a story in her social columns. Worse, the latest news showed that they were losing ground in Germany, and that the victory of the cause would be a matter of days. France was already lost, Italy, France and Portugal were in civil war. What would be the next step in Santana Lopez's Order? After she entered clandestinely in England, anything was possible.

"Where did they go?" Samuel asked between his teeth.

"We don't know yet. We think they have returned to France." Dolohov replied.

"You don't know?" Samuel burst out. In a moment of fury, he turned his wand to one of the guards. "Avada Kedavra!" A green flash came out like a ray from the tip of the wand called the most powerful in the world and the man fell lifeless.

"We managed to kill many of them." Puckerman tried to relativize.

"Any chance that you kill someone that matters, like Santana Lopez or Quinn Fabray?" Samuel asked without even hiding his uncontrollability.

"No sir."

"Then you failed!" He shouted.

Dolohov remained stoic, as if the protege's bravado didn't impress him at all, even though Samuel was in fact the most powerful wizard of the place, and also a spoiled and insightful boy, Dolohov was the voice that led Samuel after Zabini's death.

"We don't know exactly where their base is, but we know where the most precious people are for Santana Lopez." Dolohov said with odd calm. "If we're going to retaliate, then let's do it where it hurts more."

Samuel calmed down. He stared at the mentor and nodded.

...

Quinn was in clean, bathed clothes, with her wounds treated, and had taken a plate of soup that strengthened her a little. Still, even though she knew she had complete freedom to come and go, she remained in the bedroom of the house in the small town of Vervins. It was one of the houses used by the cells throughout the resistance. Quinn herself had stayed there once. She woke up from the nap. She couldn't sleep for more than an hour, and any loud noise frightened her. Quinn didn't want to admit it to herself, but the stress and trauma she'd gained through the war was too great.

She saw Santana lying next to her. The chosen one was dozing, snoring even. It was the first time Quinn could take a good look at the woman she hadn't seen in nearly four years. Santana was 21 and had changed very little physically. But Quinn could feel that this was only a perfunctory impression. Santana was someone else, just as she was. Quinn touched her friend's face with her forefinger, as if trying to prove it was a real one, not a figment of the imagination. What is worse is that she couldn't be happy as a result of the repeated torturous attacks she suffered with dementors.

"I'm here, Fabray," Santana said without opening her eyes. Then she faced her friend. "Hi."

"Lopez? Is it really you? "

"In flesh and blood, and no trick with polyjuice potions."

Quinn came over and kissed Santana's lips.

"You're real!" Quinn said to convince himself.

"Yes."

"Where have you been all this time? Why did it take so long?" Quinn's voice sounded so fragile that it broke Santana's heart.

"Sorry to have let you down. Lily and I... "

"I know... you were running the world, fucking and making kids among other things." The hurt was evident in Quinn's voice.

"Part of the procreation was a happy accident." Santana frowned and smiled lightly. "I have no excuses for that, Quinn. Harry Potter and Granger said that's what we should do and we did it. I didn't even question them... it was a mistake. I'm so sorry."

"Did they tell you to set me free?"

"No."

"Was it your plan?"

"Yes."

Quinn was silent, thoughtful. Then she shifted. Quinn turned her body and lay on her back. As she moved, she couldn't disguise the pain she felt in her body, her heart, her soul.

"Do you want me to bring you something? Pillow, blanket, water?" Santana asked as she got up.

"No. You can go."

"Are you sure?"

"Not that I'm going to die if you leave this room, Santana. I stayed over three years without you, and very well."

Santana was frustrated but respected. She kissed Quinn's head, even though she felt the tension that the tender gesture generated, and left the room. She went downstairs and met the colleagues in the living room. The house had reinforced security and the perimeter was completely under control. Still, Santana was uncertain.

"How is she?" Finn approached and asked almost casually.

"Putting the pieces together."

"Like all of us."

"More or less."

"She'll get over it." Finn tried to be the optimist as always.

...

"I fucked your dad."

Santana stopped packing her bag for a moment. It had been two weeks since she and her friends provoked a rebellion inside Azkaban to rescue Quinn Fabray. The ally was better, her wounds were healing, her bruising was fading, there was a lot to recover psychologically, but that wouldn't be directly a task for Santana. She needed to go back to the front, to the war. The case had resumed Germany at the cost of major casualties. Aurora Bloom was a casualty of war, just like Drimi, who died without having the chance to return to Italy. Much of Europe was reconquered, thanks to the local uprisings. France was the first to overthrow the supremacist government with its own forces. Spain came next. Italy was close.

It was a long way before they came back to the UK again. Quinn would be in good hands. Rose Granger-Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy offered to stay with Quinn for another week. Santana couldn't stay. If she could be away any longer, she would go to the States to stay with Lily. Her girlfriend was in her seventh month of gestation, and Santana was wailing that she was missing out on all these phases.

"Didn't you hear? I fucked your dad", Quinn repeated as Santana stopped once more to pack her backpack.

"No, you didn't. You're saying this to try to hurt me."

"It's true. Do you know your birthmark under your left breast? It has a similar mark on his leg, right near the groin."

"Quinn..." Santana stopped packing and sat on the bed in front of the chair where Quinn was sitting. "If that's true... it was disrespectful of you to me. But I'm not going to waste my time pissing you off. I'm sure it must have been one of those weird things happening on the front."

"I could have given you a half-sibling." Quinn's tone was dry and cynical.

"I already have a half-sister that I worry about her every day. I don't need another one". Santana tapped the griffin core wand and finished packing her things magically. Quinn wouldn't let her do it by hand and in peace. "What do you want, Quinn? We have an hour together before I leave. Do you want to spend this time fighting with me, blaming me and teasing me like you did all week? Do you want me to apologize to you for the umpteenth time?"

"Kiss Me."

Santana was surprised at the request. A week being cursed by Quinn, being accused of cowardice, having abandoned her friends, and now Quinn asks her for a kiss? Santana got up, went to her best friend and kissed her on the mouth. It wasn't a disinterested and careless kiss. Santana kissed Quinn trying to get the best of her. She closed her eyes, felt Quinn match, it was a sweet kiss, nice and sexy. Santana broke the kiss and walked away from her best friend.

"Would you stay with me if it wasn't for her?"

Santana wouldn't dare answer.

"Would you take both, if she agreed?" Quinn insisted.

Santana remained silent. It was too dangerous to answer those questions because the answer was yes. Santana loved Quinn as family, but she would never love her like a sister. It was obvious that Santana felt attraction and desire for Quinn. It was obvious that he loved her so much that she invaded Azkaban just to get her out. Time and distance didn't change that. But a slip had already happened years ago, and that almost killed her with guilt, because, on the other tip of that triangle was Lily.

"I had sex with some people during the war. Men and women. It was for comfort most of the time. In others, it was just fuck. But I didn't kiss any of them in the mouth. Not even your father."

"You know I love you, and I wouldn't mind if you got involved with someone who was really good for you."

"I know," Quinn turned away. "Because of she?"

"What?"

"Why Lily? I understand why you dated Brittany. She was the classic story of the childhood friend who became the first love. It was natural, even though you two had very little in common beyond Quidditch. I understand why we love each other. Because we are similar and yet complementary. We are accomplices of each other from the minute one."

"Compliments? You gave me to death eaters!"

"We had just turned 15, and my father had been torturing me during the whole vacation! He ordered a guy to rape me as part of an initiation! What did you want? I was scared for hell! For my life!"

"You never told me that your father... my God, Quinn..."

"Now you know the whole story."

"After six years? Why didn't you ever tell me the whole story? Why are people always hiding things from me, like I'm crystal?"

"In my defense, I never said this to anyone as I vent, out loud. I told this in court, in official testimony to convict my father. But I never wanted my friends to know. It's humiliating and you guys would look at me differently, as I was a crystal. You know the sensation." Quinn was annoyed. "About people hiding you things, maybe because you're the hippogriff chosen one bibelot that needs to be protected until you go into the slaughterhouse against Evans, and fulfill the prophecy. You've been manipulated since day one."

"I don't disagree with that." Santana sighed. It was shit, but what Quinn told her was the truth.

"So... why Lily?" Quinn insisted. "I never understood why she? It's okay that she's beautiful, but I know you and it's not that important. Apart from the fact that you both are chasers, and that you are essentially a Gryffindor, I have never understood this attraction between you two."

"I don't know, Quinn. I can't explain. In the beginning it was like magnetism. She irritated me, I thought she was arrogant, but I couldn't look away."

"I remember."

"If you really get to know her, you'll find out that Lily is really cool and as smart as you. She gives me balance, stability. And Lily is not boring at all. She knows how to enjoy a good adventure, a good joke, is witty. Not to mention that she is far more sensible than I am, even when she is drunk. Our sex life is very good, I have nothing to complain about."

"But there's something that bothers you despite all this perfection."

"It's not about her, it's about me."

"What is it?"

"Because even though I'm happy with Lily, you exist and confuse me."

Quinn stared at Santana. She blinked once, twice. She had finally had the confession she had wanted for years. No matter how fast and subtended, Quinn understood the whole picture. She wasn't a mere second choice. Quinn was part of the equation that formed the chosen one.

"Where are you going?" Quinn broke the tense silence after a minute or two, when Santana got up to pick up the pack.

"To Munich." It was where the German parliament was located and also the largest concentration of the Order.

"From what Marley told me, Europe is on the winning lead. You should go back to England, pick up Hogwarts and the Ministry. You must isolate Evans and take his wand out. Only then you will be able to defeat him. I saw what he can do. He is powerful, but he is also very arrogant and overbearing. Worse: he has nothing to lose. You have it, and he's going to use it against you."

"He's used it, Quinn. My dad paid the price... and so did you." Santana lowered her voice.

"Your father tried, San. He was tired of the political game fought by Potter, Granger and the international confederations. So he started acting on his own, and I helped him in what was possible. His plan was good, we had a chance and the surprise factor. Juan wasn't careless at any time, and even eliminated Zabini. But the wand protects Evans, is loyal to him. If you can separate them, you win."

"I will remember this!" Santana nodded. "And thank you."

"I'll join you as soon as I'm stronger."

"You must withdraw from this war."

"He raped me, San. For days on end, without mercy. He got me pregnant and then beat me to the point where I abort in Azkaban. I have bills to settle, as much as you do."

…

"Rachel, why didn't you ever do this at home?" Lauren never ceased to be amazed to see the lunch dishes being cleaned as if there were a ghost or some ghosts handling the objects.

"I did, grandma, when you weren't home."

"I see." Lauren nodded.

The lady with dark blond hair and green eyes smiled at her younger granddaughter. Rachel, with her wand in hand, set the new house with magic touches. While the dishes were self-cleaning and the broom also worked alone, the clothes came out of the boxes and were folded automatically one by one and "flew" straight to the drawers in the wardrobe. Lauren felt almost obsolete watching the house be cleaned by her granddaughter who waved her wand as if it were a baton to orchestrate a symphony of housework while singing a song.

They had just moved to Greyward Village, the wizarding district of the small town of Adams, which was on the banks of the Greylock Reservation, Massachusetts, address of the Ilvermorny Witchery School. Shelby was in town conducting a job interview using a fake ID provided by the United States Department of Intelligence as a special courtesy at the request of Sue Sylvester. Shelby had a need to work and to have the sense of a normal and stable life, despite the madness that surrounded her because of war in Europe involving her oldest daughter. Her job in Boston had already gone into space. Her apartment was closed and yet he consumed her savings. Even with the financial help offered by Harry Potter, Shelby wasn't a woman to accept such favours except in cases of extreme need. Besides, she was determined to return to old life in New York as soon as the war was over.

Rachel herself was thinking about what she could do in the future. Ilvermorny was right there, in a safe camp, and she heard there was an opening for the optional classes of art and theater. She was willing to meet the school, talk to the principal, and prospect a vacancy. Even though she wasn't a graduated, having studied at Hogwarts had some status in the wizarding world for its strong teaching. Maybe she could settle down in that same neighborhood, which was small, discreet, with the least amount of wizarding trade, and still trimmed in the muggle city that, though small, was three hours from Boston and not far from New York. For Rachel, this meant that she could apparate in two times for any of these metropolis. It wasn't a bad place to live. It certainly had more appeal than the isolated Kodjavo.

While she mentally orchestrated some plans for the future closely watched by her grandmother, Lily came down the stairs with her huge seven months pregnant belly.

"All set up," Lily announced.

"You shouldn't be making so much effort, dear," Lauren warned the young woman.

"It's no effort at all," Lily said gently to her grandmother-in-law. "It's worse to stay idle."

"Empty head, devil's workshop," Lauren replied, prompting the girl's questioning look. "It means that the person who doesn't look for an occupation gets more succinct to think bullshit and to do nonsense."

"Right..." Lily watched Rachel move around the house, taking care of the household chores while humming. "Nothing But Flowers?" She asked to her sister-in-law.

"Yes..." Rachel stopped humming for a moment. "I didn't know you like old songs."

"Your sister likes to hum this song."

"Blame my mother. Talking Heads is one of her favourite bands... and my dad's."

Rachel finished storing the clothes in the room she and her grandmother would occupy and paid attention to her sister-in-law. She was always a bit shocked to think that her sister was responsible for Lily's pregnancy. She understood the process, she knew that almost everything could be possible with magic, but still, there were things Rachel could hardly believe.

"From your father?" Lily frowned, then shook her head. "I'm sorry... sometimes I forget that you and Santana are half-sisters."

"I always forget that detail," Rachel said more emphatically, then dimmed as Lily pressed both hands to her belly at a specific point and looked down. "How's my niece?"

"Agitated." Suddenly, Lily frowned and wanted to sit down.

"Is everything alright, dear?" Lauren approached. "Rachel, I think you should call Ginny or your mother."

"No need." Lily nodded at Rachel, who was already picking up the coin from her pocket. "It was just a silly passing dizziness."

"These things aren't nonsense." Lauren went to the kitchen and got a glass of water. "You should be doing a decent prenatal exam with a real doctor. I'm sorry, but this said doctor you visited at Kohadjo doesn't even know where his nose is". Lauren handed the glass to Lily and continued the sermon. "Wear a coat and we'll go to the hospital right now to do an ultrasound and some tests."

"As much as I hate to admit, my grandmother is right, Lily. Muggle doctors are much better with diagnoses and certain types of treatments than our healers. Our life is just stress and it's dangerous for the baby."

"Or we can go to Ilvermorny. Every school has an infirmary, and I hear the healers who work there cater to all the wizards around", Lily debated. She recognized that perhaps it wasn't at all bad to visit a specialist. She just didn't agree that a Muggle doctor would be any better.

"I'll follow you." Rachel sighed. "Do you want to go with us?"

"So I'd rather stay. I hate this kind of aparatar that you do. I'm too old to get past this."

"Old? Did you know that a wizard and a witch can live up to 150 years?" Rachel teased.

"As?"

"Magic!" Rachel replied with a smile as she watched Lily go to the wardrobe to get a coat. "Imagine that the lady at the height of her 72 is considered still young in our world? Flamel lived for centuries!"

"Don't overdo it." Lauren turned her attention away from the girls when she heard the buzz of the bell. "I'll get it," she told them as she headed for the door.

Rachel and Lily turned to the front of the house when a green flash took over the house, making Lauren's body drop dead on the floor, instantly lifeless. Rachel ran to Lily and stood in front of her sister-in-law as three men entered the house.

"Hello, Lily Potter… and Rachel Berry" Samuel smiled. "How long!"


	24. Year 9 - part 3

Moving out Kohadjo was a joint decision. The town populated by older people was agitated every time Santana and the Corcoran family came in temporarily. Everyone was committed to helping, while everyone was experiencing stressful days. Kohadjo was, after all, a community of retired wizards who engaged in simple activities such as the cultivation and rearing of very mundane animals. Only George Glawson had magical animals on his property. For a woman like Shelby, and even Rachel, a free-trade routine and very little to do about cultural activities, was the end. Kohadjo could have been a perfect town to hide and train Santana Lopez when she was a teenager, but it was boring.

Greyward Village was much more interesting. It was the base village of Ilvermorny, there was a lot of youth movement, cultural presentations, and a nearby Muggle town that could meet the needs of people like Shelby and Lauren Corcoran. Of course, the news circulated faster in Greyward. Of course, the locals knew that the Santana Lopez' relatives, the central figure of a war that happened on the other side of the Atlantic Ocean, had moved to the neighborhood. Secrets were harder to contain in the village. But Lily, Rachel, Lauren, Shelby, and David had their lives facilitated by the sympathy of the European struggle in the community. There was a dissonant minority, but it didn't bother them.

The Aurors responsible for the safety of the women, under David's guidance, got a good house for rent. It was a two-story house on the edge of the small town. It was a relatively distant place from the shopping center made up of a small building where items such as brooms, hats, clothes, wands, books, and others were sold. Ilvermorny stood on a plateau on the mountainside. A muggle approaching the castle would see a farm. But the wizards see a complex with a small central castle (which was more towards a fortress) where the main hall was with the four statues of the four houses. It was where the students of the most democratic school in the Wizarding world met in assemblies. The castle also housed all the classrooms, the cafeteria and the teachers' offices.

The dormitories were distributed in two auxiliary buildings, such as the owl, the Quidditch pitch, the greenhouse and the barn. Paradoxically, although Ilvermorny had homes inspired by magical creatures, there traditionally didn't teach classes about magical creatures, but it was a reference in astronomy. It was where the best astronomers came from the wizarding world. Some of them were Muggles. All condensed into a plot of land that was one third of the Hogwarts area.

When the five women arrived, they were attracted to the alleged security, especially to a seven-month pregnant girl. The house was next to a tower where the group of aurors who did the security could follow the movement in the surroundings. And the landscape was very beautiful.

The first week was adaptation. The most agitated moment happened after Ginny arrived with the news that Azkaban had fallen and that several allies, including Quinn Fabray, were free. It was omitted from them that most were in a bad state. To celebrate, Ginny opened a bottle of wine and the five of them drank a glass, including the sip which Lily had right. The expectant mother even got excited and started planning the little room she would do for her daughter.

On that fateful morning, as usual, Lauren was the first to wake up. She left the room she shared with her granddaughter and packed breakfast for them all. Shelby and David liked to drink black coffee and to eat toast with jelly, Rachel also liked black coffee, but she preferred to eat a fruit before. Lily and Ginny liked to eat their typical English breakfast, which for Lauren was just a gourmand with Lady Gray tea. The other Aurors who helped in security were also called to make breakfast and enjoyed a delicious waffle.

"I'm going to school to take a look at that job spot I saw in the paper," Shelby said as she swallowed the coffee. "Don't wait for me to have lunch."

"Why?" Rachel asked.

"Maybe I'll go to Pittsfield to visit another school."

"Do you really need to work?" Ginny asked. "My family has good savings and Harry is willing..."

"With all due respect, Potter, but I have a house to keep. Our taxes are far more unfair than what you pay, if at all. A parked home costs money and I lost my job in Boston."

Ginny pondered. She couldn't even blame Shelby's urgency for money. From the moment she moved in with her daughter's quasi-mother-in-law, she realized how proud she was of being independent. Another thing was that Shelby was right: taxes were generated in different ways between wizards and muggles. In the United Kingdom, the witch population paid an annual tax rate that was collected in various ways and traders had to hand over 10% of the profit to the Ministry of Magic's cost and maintenance departments. Public servants like Harry and Hermione didn't earn that much. Ginny, as a columnist for the Daily Prophet, had a much more attractive salary than her husband. Quidditch stars and big traders were generally the richest people in the wizarding world.

"So would you like company?" David asked.

"Thank you, but it won't be necessary." Shelby sought to be polite and kissed her boyfriend.

"I follow you. I promise I won't get in the way." David insisted.

"Stop messing up. Girls are your priority right now." Shelby liked David, but grew tired with the constant presence of the Auror. Besides, what harm could happen in that city?

Shelby wore the best blouse she had and ran to a lan house to print the curriculum before visiting the schools. It was at this time that Ginny left the house under David's care to buy groceries and food. It had in the bag both georgers, the American wizard currency, and dollars. The wizard trading gallery didn't have a grocery store, so Ginny had to use the corner grocery store in the neighbouring Muggle neighbourhood. She complained about the products offered: almost everything was industrialized. Ginny still had to buy mineral water because the miner's presence there left the water with the purity of suspicion.

Ginny bought everything she could carry in two large paper bags. She made a mental note that she had to ask the only neighbor who had a car to do her a favour the next time she had to go to the market. On the way back, Ginny saw a commotion in the neighbourhood. She saw David dead in the middle of the street along with the other Aurors who were supposed to guard the perimeter, saw death eaters circling the house and saw Samuel Evans entering. Ginny was desperate.

...

Samuel and the supremacists were losing political ground from the attack on the refugee camp and the subsequent reconquest of Europe. Backstage outside the Order of the Pure, some of the European leaders who still resisted the numerous civil uprisings motivated by the hippogriff campaign on the continent, were scared and furious at England's lack of leadership. Samuel was a boy who used a very powerful wand that he built himself. He had merit, but he couldn't manage people. The Order of the Pure was efficient working in the shadows. When it became a government, it also failed. Little by little, the members returned to the shadows and to the refuge in their secret temples waiting for another window to act. Members like Samuel and Dolohov had no such alternative and would have to go to the end of the story. If Samuel killed Santana, he would be like a god, if he lost, it was death. But death would come to everyone, right?

Samuel used not only the image of leader and chosen one, but also for supposedly the wand of wands. He demonstrated on more than one occasion to be really very powerful with such an instrument that apparently obeyed only him. Defeating the other chosen one from the prophecy became crucial, but reaching Santana directly seemed improbable at that moment. But she had a family and close friends who were as if they were a gold mine to explore. The first victim was Juan Lopez, almost by accident, and Samuel could only imagine how close he came to achieving his goal. There were double interests in Quinn Fabray, but as soon as he got what he wanted and got disenchanted, Quinn became just another piece of manipulation.

The fall of Azkaban was a terrible defeat, a successful tactical dribble that left very bad and that had great repercussion in the press that, for the first time, managed to pierce the blockade of the censorship and showed the photo of a victorious Santana and allies. It was time for Samuel to take on the status of Lord of Darkness, and that was his greatest motivation to go to the United States. He killed his friend George Patton, killed Brittany Pierce, killed Juan Lopez and killed countless other people who had little importance to him. But nothing would have more effect on Santana than if Samuel could kill Lily Potter and Rachel Berry.

Samuel followed in secret to the United States in company of the Goyle twins. They got into Kohadjo. Since Santana's family was no longer there, Samuel tortured the mayor and his family until he got the information he needed. He left twenty-five bodies behind in the process and headed for Greyward. When he entered the neighbourhood, he made no attempt to hide himself. He easily killed all the Aurors on guard and entered the house as if it were a common visit. He killed the old lady who didn't even know who she was. Samuel went into the house and ran into Rachel and Lily. He barely believed in his luck.

"Hello, Lily." Samuel smiled. "How long!"

…

Panic was in Lily's and Rachel's eyes. They were sure it was the end and that they would die. Samuel was paler than they remembered, his long blond hair covered part of the face and the scars. It was impossible to know what he would do next. What they knew was that they would have to defend themselves as best they could to reach the fireplace, which would be complicated because they would have to run to the dark lord to escape. Rachel, ahead, was ready. She knew she was no match for Samuel, but dying without doing anything wasn't an option.

"You girls should find a better place to hide. This one sucks." Samuel moved forward through the house. Santana is not as careful as I thought."

"Oh my God, you're going to make a speech!" Rachel quipped, but it was just a spit of her mouth. Her whole body was shaking and she wasn't sure she could get out of the place. It was amazing what terror could do.

Suddenly, Samuel's body bowed forward, but he wasn't hit directly by the attack that came from his back. It was like a thin barrier his back had absorbed most of the impact.

"Flee!" Ginny's desperate voice came out as Samuel received new attacks.

It was Lily who moved this time. She took her own wand. Instead of hitting Samuel, she destroyed the roof, putting some debris between her and Rachel and the lord of darkness. The move worked, especially with the cover that Ginny made. She grabbed her sister-in-law's arm and ran with her seven-month old belly to the fireplace. Rachel and her disappeared in the portal of the floo network especially installed in that house.

Seeing that her daughter and Rachel had escaped, and seeing that there was absolutely nothing she could do for Lauren, Ginny tried to seize the breach to escape. The fireplace is designed to close after use. It meant it was useless by then. All she could do was run outside the house. She pointed her wand at the door and conjured a spell that caused a kind of pressure from the center out, capable of knocking down whoever was nearby. The spell was timely to overthrow one of the Goyle twins, but another, further away, wasn't hit, which allowed him to attack Ginny. The journalist, struck by a red flash, rolled across the floor, injuring herself in the process. She got up just in time to defend herself against Ezra Goyle's second blow.

"Give up old lady."

"Destruccio," Ginny conjured, making Ezra Goyle's leg snap so loud that even she almost felt sorry for him. Almost. "Stupefy!" She finished, making the wizard out of combat.

Ginny didn't have time to celebrate. She soon had to defend herself from a sofa that literally flew toward her. Ginny couldn't defend herself with a spell and needed to rely on the agility she had and the combination of her good shape to be able to deviate from the sofa. The furniture shattered just behind her. She saw Samuel approaching. Despite the physical beauty of the young man, as if in a paradox, he was hideous. Ginny could see the twins approaching, could also see some of the neighbours hesitating to get into the fray.

"Avada Kedavra," said Samuel.

"I protect Horribilis." Ginny defended herself, but the flash didn't go near her. The direction was for someone who was behind her.

Ginny saw Samuel smile and then several wizards apparate to help in the fight. Samuel disappeared, leaving allies behind, as if he didn't care for them. He saw that Rachel was among the wizards who came to the fight and saw the desperate face of the young woman. Only then did Ginny look back and realize who was the target of the unforgivable curse. She closed her eyes and moaned at the sight of Shelby Corcoran's body on the floor. She saw Rachel run to her mother and didn't know what to do in front of such a sad scene. Her eyes went numb and she didn't even realize she was crying at the moment. It was a feeling of absolute sadness and also a terrible relief because the body wasn't Lily's.

Ginny ignored the other wizards who came directly from Ilvermorny, which was where the floo net had taken Rachel and Lily. She walked slowly to Rachel, who was crying desperately over her mother's inert breast. That war had taken the lives of too many people, and people close to them. Ginny knew very well the pain of losing someone. She lost a brother in the previous war, she lost a nephew in the attack on the refugee camp, as did several other allies and dear friends.

The journalist knelt beside Rachel and pulled the girl to herself, holding her as firmly as she could. She didn't say anything, for she knew that any word said at that moment would sound empty.

...

Members of the Order of Hippogriff and close allies saw Santana crying copiously in two occasions. The first time when she received "the present" the head of the father. The second time, inside a tent in a camp set in Graz, Austria, hours after attending the popular party after defeating the local supremacist leader in a frank duel. The news that came from the United States had the effect of an arrow in her heart. Santana was officially an orphan. Yes, Rachel was safe. Yes, Lily was safe in Ilvermorny along with Ginny. But none of this could ease the suffering of losing her mother, especially since the executor was none other than Samuel Evans.

"Rachel's on the way," Marley informed Santana, who was sitting in a chair looking out of nowhere. It was scary to see the hippogriff in that state of shock.

"I told her not to come," Santana said with a lint of voice. She was completely hoarse.

"Where else would she go?"

"I don't know... Rachel wasn't meant to be in such an environment."

Marley had few memories of Rachel in action. The slytherin girl was very skillful, but Marley also remembered how much Rachel complained during the Hippogriff's training even in Hogwarts. She remembered the escape, how Lily was a handsome leader and how much Rachel grumbled. But Marley also remembered that Rachel was a young woman doing what had to be done.

"Quinn and Rose are coming, too."

"Okay..." Santana said almost indifferently. She was too sad to rationalize Quinn's supposed recovery, three weeks after they said good-bye in France. "Did Lily send news?"

"She doesn't come to the front."

"Neither she could. She's going into the eighth month of gestation... she shouldn't even travel across the ocean."

"Lily will be staying in Ireland with Granger and Ginny Potter. Mr. Potter mentioned at the meeting that the American government offered help. They were annoyed that Evans illegally entered their country and left nearly 50 bodies behind."

"Great."

"Can I ask what you think about our next step? Mr. Potter has mentioned helping the uprising in Romania or consolidating the reconquest of Italy."

"We're not going to Romania or Italy." Santana finally looked at Marley. "We're going home."

"But that's what Evans wants."

"Great. It's good that we get it right once."

...

The reunion between Rachel and Santana happened still in Graz. The crying and the tight embrace, of course, was part of the sister's reunion. Rachel had nowhere to go. Besides, she saw no more sense in refraining from a conflict that wouldn't leave her alone until it was settled. With Shelby's death, Rachel decided it was time to be proactive and less selfish once in a lifetime. Rachel stood in the corner of the tent watching the main leaders of the cause discuss the new moves they would make. It was admirable to see her sister debating with older people, like Harry Potter, finally taking over.

"If we don't strengthen the Italian forces, we will lose ground." One of the generals insisted on an irrevocable Santana.

"Then you take the international allies and go to Italy, gain territory," Santana said in a neutral tone.

There were people of all nationalities in the rebel's army. The first newspapers circulating uncensored after some time already made comparisons between Santana and some historical figures, like Ceres the Conqueror, who unified politically the Balkan region two centuries ago. But, unlike the conquerors, Santana didn't give a damn about politics. In addition, Samuel Evans' latest war actions took the messianic outlook from her and brought her to a more mundane and dangerous level: Santana wanted blood.

"You can not go back to England right now, Lopez." Harry Potter said in a warning tone. "You're emotionally unbalanced. You will make mistakes you don't have the luxury to make. Either you go to Italy or you go to Romania. England is out of the question at the moment."

"Of course... Mr. Potter." Santana said softly, grunting. Which surprised the members of the Order of Hippogriff.

When Santana left the hut, Rachel, Albus and Finn followed her.

"You're going back to England, are not you?" Albus confronted her.

"As far as I can remember, Al, I wasn't allowed to rescue Fabray, either. Athena gave us coverage. Why do you think it will be different now?"

"Because no one expected when you rescued Fabray. It's different now."

"Yes, it's different. England is politically isolated, weakened, and independent resistance groups have begun to appear. I'm not going in just because of the deep hatred I feel for that guy. I'm going to get in because it's time to go home permanently. Two enter the ring, one leaves alive."

"Don't you think about Lily?" Albus appealed.

"What?" Santana turned to her friend. She was irritated.

"You need to think about your daughter and Lily. Getting involved in a suicide mission is disrespecting everything that has been done so far."

"Do you think I don't think of them?" Santana never spoke in such a threatening tone to her friend. It was scary. "If I don't make an end of it, there will be no future for my daughter, for Lily, for anyone! We are talking about a century of darkness! They are sacrificed generations until a new opportunity arises!"

"I know, Santana. I don't disagree with you, but... "

"I even understand why he killed my father. It was the opportunity. My father and Quinn fell with their hands kissed. But Evans took the trouble to go to the United States to murder my mother and try to kill Lily, Rachel, and my daughter. Why?"

"Santana..."

"He lost control after Zabini died. He attacked the refugee camp and gave reason for the international community to openly support us. Zabini was the administrator, the brain, the strategist. Samuel is a narcissist who built a wand of darkness! The scenario is armed. My father gave his life to ease my way. Now it's my turn to do something."

"But what if he can defeat you?" It was Rachel who asked.

"If that happens, you'll get Lily, my daughter, Rachel and Quinn, and they'll go somewhere far away."

...

From the beach of La Penne, Belgium, on the border with France, Quinn Fabray watched the sea. She was stronger, she could turn into a hawk again, her wounds were healed and there were no more bruises beyond the psychological ones. It was a hot day. Hotter than normal announcing that summer would be ruthless. But high temperatures weren't the concern for the hawk.

"It's a beautiful, polluted ocean!" Santana commented as she approached Quinn.

"You live on an island and you don't like the sea! Amazing."

"Not everyone came from a family of wizarding sailors, Fabray. And I have a fragile stomach."

"I remember it very well!" Quinn smiled. "Yet how can anyone who knows the whole world hate the sea? I can not accept that."

"Hippogriffs are animals of the earth and of the air, not of the water, although I enjoy a good sashimi."

"Do you like Japanese food?"

"Lily taught me to like it. She loves it."

"I ate raw fish once as a hawk. Much tastier than pigeons!"

"Uh!"

"Disgusted?"

"You need a vermifuge."

"Shit!" Quinn smiled. "When you're in the form of an animal, the feeling is incredible. Freedom, the senses... everything gets sharper. Not to mention that you can get along with the other animals. There is a dynamic between them that we don't even imagine. But the best thing is to be able to fly."

"I can fly without becoming an animal."

"Ironic all this prejudice with an animagus for someone who is called hippogriff."

"Whatever, Fabray."

Quinn smiled and took Santana's hand. In a second movement, they intertwined their fingers.

In the distance, Rachel watched them. She was worried about Lily's estrangement and Quinn's approach. She didn't think that was a good thing.

...

"Hummel." Santana greeted the ally she hadn't seen in years. "I thought you were dead."

"Mercedes is dead. I survived, as you can see. It's a pleasure to see you again, Lopez."

"Equally."

The fulfillment between Santana and Kurt happened in a cold, bureaucratic way. She didn't trust him. She thought there was something wrong with Kurt. It was a concern she confided to her closest allies, like Quinn, Albus, Marley, and Mike. Santana avoided commenting to Rachel, who was very excited about the presence of her old companion from the frustrated choir she founded at Hogwarts.

The group was on the outskirts of Birmingham, in a building used by a group of Hermione Granger supporters. They were all employees of the Ministry of Magic who were removed after the coup. One of the group's articulators was none other than Draco Malfoy, the only great ally who had remained in England for all these years.

In the building concealed in the eyes of muggles (and wizards as well), there was an alternative infirmary, and a series of dormitories that housed the leaderships that resisted in England itself. These people basically spent three years giving inner refuge to those who couldn't or didn't want to leave the UK.

"I worked with your father." Heidi Macavoy introduced herself to Santana. "I was the only one who escaped that day..."

Santana looked at the older woman. Heidi was referring to the night they tried to assassinate Samuel Evans and they failed. The soldier of the cause survived leaving behind the rest of the group. She could have saved at least Quinn Fabray, but preferred to run to save her own skin. An act that spoke more about self-preservation in the despair of the moment than of cowardice. Santana understood Heidi. Everyone there understood, even Quinn. Especially when it is known that the fate of all who participated in the operation, except Quinn, was death.

"Your father was very brave. It was an honour to serve with him", Heidi concluded.

"Thank you", Santana said rather coolly. She knew that honour wouldn't bring her father back to life, not even her mother.

"Santana, these are Grace James, Lupecia Potter, Anya Caulfield and Greil Thomas. I think you already know Henry Ollivander."

"Potter?" Santana asked. "Any kinship with Harry Potter?"

"Third-grade cousins." Lupecia explained.

Only Greil Thomas had studied with Santana. He was a discreet Hufflepuff, a member of the chess club, two years older, so he was already out of Hogwarts when the coup happened. He was relatively close to James Potter and even dated Rose Weasley for a week or two. Lupecia Potter and Grace James is a generation later than Draco and Harry, and they were in their 30s. Anya Caulfield was the same age as Henry Ollivander, and was a journalist, Ginny Potter's co-worker.

"Hello, Henry." Santana hugged quickly the old ally.

"It's good to see you safe, Lopez. You and Quinn Fabray."

"Likewise." Santana smiled as she remembered that it was Henry Ollivander who took them on the Hogwarts scape, and who presented her with a wand with a tap core.

"What about the wand?" Henry asked.

"It works perfectly."

"I'm grateful." Then he pointed quickly to Quinn, who was behind Santana, talking to Kurt and Rachel. "I'm glad you're still together."

Santana looked back and wasn't long in realizing the misunderstanding.

"Quinn and I are back together, but not the way you think. I've been engaged to Lily Potter ever since. She's pregnant. No one told you?"

"Oh no. We have not heard much about these last years. In fact, the less we knew, the better. We knew that the resistance was basically concentrated in France, and that you were in the refugee camp in Africa. And that you destroyed Azkaban."

"I didn't destroy Azkaban... I just provoked a mass escape. And I wasn't all the time in the refugee camp in Angola. Lily and I traveled the world for two years before we spent a few months in the camp."

"Did you travel around the world? It must have been fascinating."

"It's a word that defines well what we have done. We may be few, if compared to muggles, but we are multiples. This wand with a griffin core, for example, is not news in Persia. It's just not used much because it's difficult to handle."

"Yes... yes!" Henry smiled. "But it's not difficult for you."

"No. This wand is like a glove for me."

"I'd like to hear more about your travels. When we have time, of course."

Santana smiled at the old ally and invited the team accompanying her to meet with the resistance leaders. Quinn Fabray, Marley Rose, Lorcan Scamander, Albus Potter, Rose Granger-Weasley and Scorpius Malfoy were at the table. There were other allies of the Order outside the room, awaiting news. Some conformed as auxiliaries, others indignant, as was the case with Rachel.

"My niece Amelia is the one who brought the resistance together at Hogwarts. As far as we know, most of the students are on our side." Grace James reported. "We can use the school's dependencies as our fort."

"We should attack the Ministry of Magic. The coup happened on two main fronts: Hogwarts and the Ministry of Magic, with punctual pursuits." Greil Thomas analyzed.

"The real occupation wasn't in the Ministry, but at Hogwarts." It was Draco's turn to analyze. "The greatest symbolism wasn't Granger and Potter being exiled, but as Evans took Hogwarts."

"The biggest symbolism was how he kicked me out of Hogwarts," Santana corrected. "The greatest forces were applied there, not so much by the school itself, but because I was in it supposedly forming an army."

"Which was true," Quinn snapped. "The Order of Hippogriff played an important role on all fronts."

"The point is I'm not in there anymore, Quinn, not even he is."

"We can't go to him. Evans mansion is England's best protected place." Draco reinforced.

"Then we need to get him out of the dumpster," Santana snapped.

"How?"

She looked at the door of the room where all the others were.

"Let's reveal our plan to the rest of the staff."

"So what?" Marley questioned, but the others understood the reasoning.

Santana was betting that there was a traitor, and she would use that at her own favour.

...

"Why are we here?"

Rachel stared at the horizon of the mountainous region of northern Scotland, not far from Hogwarts and the small town of Hogsmeade. She didn't want to be there, for sure. Santana had insisted that they needed to make up for the time they had spent apart, and nothing better than a recon mission.

"What do you know about the deathly hallows?"

"You brought me here to tell a story?" Rachel grunted impatiently.

"What do you know?"

"That death left three gifts for the Peverell brothers. Each was left with one magical object, but two of them were succumbed by them, except the youngest, who won the invisibility cloak. The deathly hallows were long believed to be legends, but the fact is that they exist, that your quasi-father-in-law has the cloak, and apparently Evans built the wand."

"It's a good summary, but it's not entirely correct."

"Where did I go wrong?"

"The most important detail is that he who possesses the three hallows becomes immortal. An idea that would surely appeal to Voldemort, who had attracted Dumbledore for a while, but not most of us. My quasi-father-in-law, as you put it, had a chance to be the lord of the death, but he gave it up."

"Why?"

"Because, unlike Voldemort and Dumbledore, Potter has built a family that he loves more than anything and all these corny things. Harry Potter is one of those who say that children should bury their parents. This wouldn't be possible if he were the lord of the death: he would bury his own children."

"So what, Santana? I still don't understand why we came here while the rest of our friends are somewhere else to face a battle you're supposed to lead?"

"Why did you come back to England with me, Rach?" Santana walked through the forbidden forest, with Rachel following her a few steps behind.

"Are you kidding?" Rachel said angrily. "There's nothing left for me in the United States."

"Not even your father?"

"With all the respect and love I feel for him, we don't belong to the same world. Honestly, San, you're all I have left."

Santana nodded in agreement. At least in part. They had more blood relatives around the world: a muggle uncle whom Santana in particular had never met, and who Rachel had seen him on one occasion or two, because Shelby didn't get along with her brother. There were also distant cousins and other more distant relatives. Neither Santana nor Rachel cared for these people.

"Rach, do you remember the last thing you said to our mother?"

Rachel stopped walking for a moment and struggled to remember the scene. Shelby had gone out for a job interview after they had breakfast together, and that was the last time she saw her mother before she was murdered by Samuel Evans.

"It was 'Good luck', I guess. I think I wished her good luck for the job interview she was going to do."

"That simple?"

"We rarely know when we will be seeing or talking to someone for the last time, San. If I'd known, I would never have allowed her to leave the house. I would have made her enter that fireplace."

"I don't remember the last words I said to my parents in person. All I know is that the last letter I sent them was to let my mother know my very pregnant girlfriend was going to US. Imagine that?"

"My mother was furious with you." Rachel told and Santana smiled.

"Isn't it funny that a scolding letter is the last thing I have from our mother?"

"At least it's something." Rachel held her sister by the arm as they approached the edge of the forest with the Hogwarts grounds. "Is that why you called me here, San? To talk about our mother?"

"Who else could I talk to?" Santana questioned.

Rachel nodded and hugged her sister briefly. It was a comfort they allowed to give each other for a few minutes, in silence and with a few tears, taking advantage that there was no one else to interrupt.

"No matter what happens, Rach, I won't lose you. I won't lose anyone else."

It was what Santana really wanted: to have time with the sister away from all the rest, using a trivial mission as an excuse. The sisters looked back at the old school. Hogwarts looked imposing as ever. Next to them was Hagrid's hut: the building was abandoned, since the old half-giant needed to take refuge in Iceland along with some of the magical beings who had good relations with the government of Hermione Granger. Santana looked at the building that had been shot countless times, as if every conquistador had to erase the symbolic memory that the hut represented: the dwelling of a simple wizard, suffered, hybrid, but who found there a place in the world where they could be loved and accepted. That was just one of the temporarily modified landscapes at Hogwarts, this time if the prophecy is right, so they enjoy a much longer period of peace than in the tumultuous 20th century.

They circled the boundaries of the forbidden forest in order to avoid attracting attention from agents and some of the dementors who were circling the sky above the castle. Their emotional state wouldn't attract the attention of the creatures of darkness. Santana and Rachel still mourned the death of their parents and didn't know if they would be able to rejoin the patronus.

"And now?"

"We wait here until sundown," Santana ordered.

Rachel sat down next to her sister and began to play with the dry foliage. Her mind wasn't totally focused on the mission.

"I saw that you and Quinn are close again."

"More or less. I spent a week with her after Azkaban. Quinn was shattered, Rach. She still is", Santana whined.

"I can't even imagine..." Rachel recognized that Quinn's position wasn't easy. But despite all the compassion she felt, she had to take the question that was choking. "But what does this mean to you and Lily?"

"What do you mean by that?"

"About Quinn being back in your life?"

"As far as I know, she's never been out of my life."

"You know what I'm talking about, San."

Santana sighed and looked at her sister.

"Things will remain exactly as they have always been after this war. I'm staying with Lily and our daughter. You're going to be around and Quinn... she'll be around too, if she wishes."

"It doesn't seem very fair. Someone always suffers more in these love triangles. Honestly, I feel sorry for Quinn. It's so obvious that she loves you and it's obvious that you love her. But you chose Lily."

"You talk like I've made a mistake. I've been with Lily for six years now, and I'm happy with her. We're having a daughter together. Lily was by my side at the best and worst moments. And I love her very much, Rach. I'm still in love with Lily. What do you expect? I confess to you that I love Quinn too and would like to take care of her after all this trauma. But not that way. Not in a relationship. It can't be. I've been to this game. I had sex with Quinn once and it almost cost me Lily. I can't fall into temptation one more time. The price is too high."

"I don't want anyone to stay with me just because I'm the safe choice."

"Lily is much more than a safe choice."

"But the sexual tension between you and Quinn is undeniable. Even a blind man sees it. Even with all the love you feel for Lily, be careful."

Santana looked at Rachel and sighed. They were both silent. It wasn't that Santana was unwilling to continue the conversation, but she realized that the moment was crucial for them to move again.

"It would be easier to get to the canyon if we flew there."

"Too bad we don't have brooms," Rachel said without emotion.

"No. But I can fly... or almost."

"What?" Rachel's eyes widened. It was something she herself had never witnessed. Of course, she knew her sister was powerful, but she felt there were some limits that even Santana couldn't break. Anyway, Rachel was never a scholar in the history of witch civilization.

"I never carried anyone with me and I don't control the flight very well. We can get hurt, or worse, get noticed. But it's our best chance."

Rachel blinked once, twice, three times, still perplexed by the plan. Santana hugged her sister from behind and watched the way. She held the tap-wand (still had no certainty to perform such a maneuver without it) and took a momentum. Despite her many abilities, super strength wasn't one of them. She let go of her sister when they were close to the "landing" because she could no longer support her weight. Santana herself got off balance and reached the uneven ground in fall. She rolled among rocks, moss and mud. Santana hit her ribs and restrained the cry of pain. It took a little longer than she would like to get up. She took a deep breath and judged that she had broken nothing, that he only had to endure the pain of the blow, and walked to her sister who also recovered from her fall.

"Are you okay?" She asked Rachel without disguising the pain.

"Nothing that momentum doesn't solve." Rachel said taking the dirt off her coat.

"Momentum... of course." Santana muttered to herself about the spell she could never remember at a time like this.

"And now? What do we do?"

"We checked if the fragments are still here."

"Fragments?" Rachel frowned.

"From the elder wand. I need it. I need a piece of it if I want to compete with Evans. If Lily's stories are right, Harry Potter has thrown the fragments in that region. Ollivander can make something with it."

"How are we going to find it?"

"Digging."

Even in the darkness, it was still possible to see the perplexed features on Rachel's face, which made Santana laugh briefly, despite the nuisance in her ribs. She turned the griffin core wand into the air and a yellowish light circled her body. The yellow light spread across the floor from Santana. The first attempt didn't work. Santana walked with some difficulty around the area that looked like another pit and repeated the spell. This time the yellow light signaled something on the other side of the bank of water that rose in that gap between spring and summer. Santana walked to the right place and actually dug with her bare hands. Unfortunately, the action of the pair caught the attention of dementors who descended to the moat.

"San!" Rachel was nervous.

"Use your patronus," said the sister as she lay with her hands.

"I can't. Too confused right now."

Santana stopped digging to summon the patronus well just as the first dementor was about to attack her sister. The spell had no shape, but it was strong enough to keep the creatures out of them. The light caught the attention of students standing on the bridge at that moment. Santana went back to digging as Rachel prepared to deal with the agent she started to attack. She conjured up the protection spell involving her and her older sister, then knocked over the approaching agent on a broom, conjuring up an unspoken stupefaction. Rachel defended herself from another agent who approached, and also knocked him down. In the meantime, Santana enjoys finding what she was looking for.

"Let's get out of here," Santana ordered.

"Where?"

"Up!"

Santana ran to her sister, hugged her, and took upward thrust in a once more irregular flight, slithering even into the canopy of one of the few trees that grew in that tight moat. They landed on the castle bridge, rolling across the floor. Rachel recovered more quickly and soon put herself in a position of defense. On one side, the path to the main courtyard leading to the hall, on the other, the exit and the way to Hogsmeade. Santana saw students crowding on the side of Hogwarts and five opponents standing between them and the way out. There were the last permanent agent of the school and four pro-supremacist professors.

Santana and Rachel turned on the adults, straight into the fray. To their surprise, the first attack came from a student in Slytherin uniform who appeared to be older. She traced a direct spell against the teachers. Santana took advantage of the surprise factor and used the advantage against the most eminent opponents.

Hogwarts was considered a safe place not only for the protections that surrounded the castle, but because the whole faculty was formed by wizards and witches of great skill. Not infrequently there was a professor among the most powerful persons, such as Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall, Flitwick and Horace Slughorn. The duel wasn't resolved so easily. Among the teachers was Theodore Nott, cousin of Santana's stepmother, who was professor of art of the darkness. Theodore marked Santana's life due to the sarcasm and cruelty as he treated her at the parties promoted by Amber Nox. In a way, it would be with pleasure that she would attack him.

The six most experienced wizards showed extraordinary abilities, and what the Hogwarts students witnessed at that time was an extraordinary defense lesson against dark art from the pair of sisters. Santana was much more acrobatic in the clash against Nott and the agent. It was the youth of a girl close to turning 21. Rachel had a more classical style, but no less efficient stance.

Nott attempted to conjure the deadly unforgivable curse on Santana, who in an extraordinary reflex made the spell ricochet over the agent. Immediately she counterattacked, causing the teacher to fly against the bridge wall and fall. It wasn't what Santana wanted. Even at war, she never threw an unforgivable curse and didn't even intentionally kill. Still, the reaping of lives happened and Santana unfortunately couldn't avoid some of them in the heat of battle. She also didn't have the luxury of thinking deeply about it, otherwise she would have to give up everything and surrender. So she continued to fight for the ideal she believed in the cleanest way possible.

Santana helped Rachel eliminate the last opponent, the current portion teacher, Marcus Belby. He was lucky that he was defeated without losing his life in the process. As usual, Santana conjured up chains and broke his opponent's wand. The pair turned to the other side of the bridge and faced the students who attended the clash with some other teachers.

"That was amazing!" Said the Slytherin student who helped in the fight. "I knew you would come sooner or later."

"Thank you." Santana replied to the student.

"Don't you know who I am?" The girl said with clear enthusiasm. "I'm Amelia James."

Santana was confused for a moment, until she remembered hearing the name of the student. Amelia James was the leader of the resistance among the students. But for some reason, Santana thought she was a Hufflepuff.

"Looks like things are not very good at Hogwarts, isn't it Amelia?" Santana spoke up with the group of students and teachers approaching.

"When the school reopened after the Gryffindors massacre, as you may know, this house was extinguished and all students who were supposed to be a Gryffindor were invited to leave school." One of the remaining teachers went ahead and explained. "It's as if we have returned to the inquisition. Amelia and I tried to put together a resistance group. "

"This inquisition ends here." Santana approached the group led by Amelia. "We're not going to bring the battle to Hogwarts, but I want you to keep the position, no matter what."

"Where are you going to fight the battle against Evans?" A professor asked.

"You will know."

"Are you leaving?" The student asked, disappointed at the brief meeting.

"Our mission here has been completed," Santana replied.

Santana and Rachel greeted the group and walked toward the path that led to the small village.

"San, I understood the first part of the mission, but what the hell was that?" Rachel was intrigued.

"A little misinformation."

"Why?"

"Because all this will reach his ears."

When they reached the boundaries outside Hogwarts, they disappeared, leaving behind a group of motivated students and teachers to resist.

...

Samuel was playing with a galleon between his fingers. He would pass the little pink coin to the window without the help of his thumb as if he were a very skilled magician. The galleon passed from here to there and from here to here in a matter of seconds. So the dark lord did as he listened to the hot discussions that took place in that room.

"The news is not good," Noah Puckerman told Samuel Evans and the council around him. "Santana Lopez was at Hogwarts. Apparently, she was looking for something around the castle. Our agents were defeated, two of them killed in combat... there are reports of students who supported the rebels. Lord, we must crush these insects once and for all."

"We can use the Hogwarts invasion as propaganda in our favour," Dolohov countered. "The more Lopez and the rebels move, the more we can use that against them."

Samuel didn't even listen to the debate of his closest counselors. The galleon between his fingers was far more interesting than those political games of which he was already exhausted. As he drove the galleon between his own fingers, he thought of the list of motives he had made while being trained by the Order of the Pure. He freed his friends and family, yet he couldn't make good use of their company. He possessed Quinn Fabray in every way he imagined, yet the love she professed to feel was for somebody else. He had impregnated Kitty Wilde, and none of it satisfied him. He conquered power and made the changes he deemed necessary, but this provoked the ongoing war. He had the power to govern in the way he thought right, yet nothing seemed enough.

He thought again of the fateful list he had written years ago and thought of the barrier he had assigned. The one he hit countless times, and yet the barrier was standing. Unaware of the Allies' debate, Samuel rose from the chair at the head of the table.

"Find out where she's hidden. I want to solve this problem as soon as possible. "


	25. Final battle - part 1

"The sunset here is not like there in Angola."

Albus sat next to Marley when he saw her alone and farther away. The camp in northern Scotland, in the same region as Hogwarts and Hogsmade, was strangely quiet, as if the people there were experiencing the bonanza before the storm. That was it, since the plan had been drawn for the presumed last chapter of that war. Albus saw parents telling precious advice to their kids. Brothers and friends embraced and exchanged words of caress, couples prepared to love each other in the reserved interior of their tents.

Marley, however, sat alone and isolated until Albus arrived. He himself had private conversations with the cousins who were there. That's why he felt that no one should be alone on the eve of the plan. Especially someone like Marley who, by the age of 18, had matured more than many people in a lifetime.

"It seems I can't get used to the weather anymore." Marley shook her head.

"We've been away for over two years without wearing such heavy coats, have we?"

"That's it, but it's not that at the same time." Marley was still talking without looking at her friend.

"What is it then?"

"I don't know exactly what it is." Finally, she stared at her friend. "We had a good life there, didn't we? I mean, it was hard, a lot of work, but we were a family. Me, Hugo, you and Lysander. Even Lily and Santana, who arrived later. We had a unit and we were a family. Now Hugo is dead. We are gathered here and even Rachel is here. And Quinn is here, and your cousins and uncles... all ready for the final fight and it seems like we've never been so far apart."

Albus understood Marley's sadness. She was an orphan. Her mother had died as a result of morbid obesity before Marley even went to Angola. It was natural that she had adopted a new family among the group that ran the refugee camp. The feeling was reciprocal. Marley became family too. On the other hand, meeting some of the exiles with family and friends who spent so much time communicating through messages most of the time showed that distance has affected many of the relationships. This was painful and perhaps for this very reason there was so much effort in reconnecting with those who had been away before the final battle. Marley had no one away to reconnect. Not anymore. It was painful to realize that, in the midst of the various meetings that were taking place, she was no one's priority.

Albus held her friend's hand and squeezed a little, trying to get confidence.

"We're still a family, Marley. You're family and I think you should stop enjoying this gray sunset and enjoy a nice dinner with me."

Marley was reluctant for a moment, but eventually accepted the offer. She got up and went to a tent with two large tables, used as dining rooms. She found Finn there alongside Rachel, Scorpius talking to Rose, plus a few other people with familiar faces or not. All were together and at the same time separated. It was as if the air could be sliced so tightly, and that made her uncomfortable. Albus held Marley's hand firmly. He wanted to prove one point, that in spite of everything, she was important to him. Albus admired her: she was the youngest of the group, she was always considered the helper of all, and she always performed every task with selflessness and dexterity. Albus also found Marley beautiful inside and out, something that never allowed himself to verbalize sharply in regard to his dead cousin, so as not to get the wrong idea. The truth is that he and Marley had things in common, and maybe after the war they could exploit those points.

"Bread?" Albus offered her friend a piece of the delicious sweet bread made to perfection by the house-elves who served in the camp.

"Let's share."

Albus smiled, took some fresh bread from the basket. That's when the light came on.

...

Finn was moving faster and faster. Meanwhile, Rachel was a little deconcentrated because the strong thrusts were making her body slip out of the narrow camp mattress.

"Ohhh, Rachel..." Finn further accelerated the movements that made Rachel's small breasts sway like jelly. Then he grunted and thundered loudly as he cum in his wife. He sighed relieved by the orgasm and rolled to the side, withdrawing the penis in motion.

It wasn't a gentle sex. It was just a dirty meanless sex caused by the eminent final battle. The need for fuck as a way to vent some of the tension. As soon as they entered one of the huts, they took off their trousers, the penetration was almost instant and everything became pure and simple fuck. No experiments at all. Rachel lay down and Finn came over in a mom-and-pop position without any aesthetic sense. Finn was moving fast inside Rachel's not-so-lubricated vagina. His enjoyment was as expected, while Rachel got the dubious feeling that she had made a mistake while at the same time she actually sought some kind of sexual relief. This seemed to be the summary of their marriage: casual and disconnect conversations, without proper intimacy and not always satisfactory.

"Was it good for you?"

"It was great." Rachel smiled.

"Did you come?"

"Yes, I did."

Finn believed or pretended to believe. He was so high now. He smiled discreetly and kissed Rachel on the mouth before stand up. Rachel watch her husband (or would she call him ex-husband?) putting his pants on.

"Where are you going?"

"I need to check a few things. We can talk after dinner."

"Of course."

Rachel watched Finn come out of the small tent and stared at the ceiling. This wasn't a fancy magic tent: it was very close to a normal camp, with no luxuries and basic structure. She was naked from the waist down, the bra off her breasts, the t-shirt twisted, legs slightly apart, lying on her back and staring at the ceiling. She ran her hand over her breasts. They were sensitive. She massaged them a little, circled the tip of the index finger on the nipple, and lowered her right hand to her clitoris. She began to massage it in quick circular motions and moaned. She felt dirty in having such thoughts, but she imagined what sex should be like among other people. Would it be so interesting like those porn videos on the internet? While she stimulated her clitoris, she imagined how good it would be if she were given oral sex. How good it would be to be sucked, kissed, and penetrated with the tongue as if she were receiving a passionate kiss. They were things that Finn could hardly do with her. She penetrated herself with two fingers as she continued to press one of her breasts. She closed her eyes, bit her lips, and came alone.

Rachel opened her eyes and kept her hand still in her own sex. Her fingertips at the entrance to her vagina. She quickly massaged her sex, running her hand wet with fluids all over her pussy and trimmed pubes. She took a deep breath. She was calm and pleased with her solo performance. Look on the bright side: she was a born soloist, right?

Rachel reached for a towel and wiped herself off before getting up and dressed. She left the little tent and found the wizarding movement of various ethnicities and nationalities circulating, not to mention the huge numbers of mestizos and Muggle-borns.

It was such a group that he had gathered around Santana Lopez: fugitives from Azkaban, close allies, people who resisted in silence during the years of the supremacist regime, some foreigners who were fighting for the ideal. Between them, she remembered the guy who ran into a bar in Salem. What was the name of the Irishman? Rory something. Yes, he was circling there, experiencing the idealistic youthful dream of the supposed socialist revolution of the wizarding world against oppression. Rachel felt sorry for the poor guy. If he knew there was no one with more allergy to politics than Santana, that the main reasons that made her there were private, maybe Rory wouldn't be standing there risking his own skin.

Rachel liked the mix, but she hated the situation. Finn, on the other hand, was quite at ease, as if he had really found the place in the world. She saw her husband talking to people as if he were a commander. Finn looked so happy.

Rachel saw Santana and Quinn talking in a more secluded part of the camp. She stepped closer to the point where she realized that they were arguing about something. Rachel didn't want to interrupt. But what would she say to her sister at that moment? She had the feeling that everything Santana could say would sound like a farewell. She would like to avoid such a situation. Rachel didn't want to lose anyone else. The costs of that war have become inestimable.

Rachel turned her attention to the rest of the camp in Scottish lands. She saw many familiar faces, but the three years she spent away from everything made her disconnect with many of those people. She was glad to hear that Kurt was alive, but they had no connection. Kurt was just a shadow of the once arrogant and clever boy who fought the spotlight on Muggle music club with her. Many of the friends she had at Hogwarts were no longer there. They were dead. Hugo, her first boyfriend, was dead. Brittany, who didn't sing very well, but danced like a goddess and had a great mood, was murdered. Mercedes died in Azkaban because she didn't have the guts to jump from a moving train.

From the glee club she set up at school, considering the longest members, only Marley, Kurt, and Finn were alive. Rachel knew members like Artie Abrams and Ryder Lynn and Wade Adams were also alive. The last two were in the same camp preparing for "D", but they were people who didn't get involved and she didn't really have news.

Who were Rachel's friends there? Who could she count besides those who were somehow intimately connected with her family? And by family it was understood Santana.

Rachel watched Rose walk hand in hand with Scorpius. They weren't just formally married because they didn't want to officialize anything through a war. Rachel envied them for choosing to live together first. Rachel, who was still formally married to Finn Hudson, who had just had sex with her husband, and who could hardly wait for it to end, could only think of the great mistake she had made. In fact, divorce among wizards was something that always turned news given the rarity of the act within a community that was very small.

The last divorce that had been reported in England happened six years ago when Laura Madlay divorced from Roger Malone. She discovered that the then husband was having an affair with a muggle. Laura Madlay, in fact, became a supporter of the supremacists. Her son, Breno Malone, studied the same year as Rachel at Hogwarts, at Hufflepuff's house, as did her parents, and was bullied by her classmates for being the only divorced child in school, as well as being chubby. Rachel had no news of Breno, she had never even been friends with him, nor did she try to be. But if he wasn't there, Rachel assumed that he was on the other side, or didn't get involved.

Rachel was surprised to think of Breno Malone. What was the point of that?

"Rachel?"

The girl glanced sideways toward the owner of the voice she knew very well.

"Santana? Wow. Why are you arguing with Quinn about?"

"Nothing..." It didn't look like it was anything. Santana was angry and Rachel was betting that the conversation with Quinn was the reason. "You don't look very good either, not to mention that you look lost. What happened?"

"I don't know if it would be something we could talk about in five minutes on the eve of the end of the world."

"The world will not end!" Santana said with her usual unbelieving stance, not understanding for a moment the irony. "Anyway, it seems like the people here are figuring out how to vent all the frustrations in one breath. Why couldn't you?"

"Was your argument with Quinn so bad?"

Santana took a deep breath, put her hand on her waist, and looked up at the sky for a second before turning her attention back to her sister.

"You can't expect people to really change after three years. Besides... Quinn had a bad time. I have to give a discount. Lots of discounts."

"You want to call her mean, don't you?"

"It's tempting. I just don't have that right." Santana nudged Rachel on the shoulder. "What about you?"

"I'm just a little tense. I miss our mother." Rachel still had her heart in mourning, it was true. But her problems at that moment were others, and again, she didn't want to intrude further on Santana, who seemed to have her hands full of things to solve.

"I miss her too... it's really hard to stop thinking about it."

"I think we're both going to have to do therapy when that's all over."

Santana laughed out loud. It was the first time she had done this since when she received her own father's head as a "gift". Unfortunately, there was no humour in that laugh. It was a nervous reaction that soon made her eyes water and an expression of sadness. Didn't people see how much Santana was destroyed inside? She was, too. Rachel wasn't long in coming and hugged her sister. She allowed herself to linger, despite occasional glances passing by and witnessing the gesture. Let the others explode. Rachel opened her eyes and saw Draco Malfoy approaching with a note in hand.

"Am I interrupting something?"

"Just a session of sisterhood piety." Rachel joked, giving Santana time to pull herself together.

"Is everything okay?" The healer didn't care about the sisters' interaction. He was only being polite by showing attention.

"As much as possible." Santana finally replied facing the ally. "Any news?"

"They are in position."

"Great!" Santana nodded.

"Ollivander just arrived and asked you to go to his tent. It looks like he got some results."

"Of course!"

Rachel didn't want to follow Draco and Santana. She watched them go away for a while, and she felt terribly lonely and without a place in the world. She wasn't a "refugee group," as Albus, Marley and Lysander were called, and not the "gang of frontiers" as they were called all those who acted in some way in Europe, as was the case with Quinn, Rose, Scorpius, Lorcan and Mike. She stayed away from everything, without classes, without friends. Rachel still had an agonizing feeling of not wanting to return to the United States. What a moment to have identity crisis.

Rachel walked to Finn in a camp where it was difficult not to run into anyone. Her husband smiled softly and invited her to grab something to eat in the tent used as refectory. Rachel agreed because she had nothing better to do. She sat down at one of the tables, greeted Rose and Scorpius who were there, and also others.

She didn't want to eat, but she didn't dispense a little juice, though. Rachel was thirsty and did not think she would miss the delicious concoctions invented by the house elves. She saw Albus arrive in the cafeteria with Marley. She greeted them both with a slight nod and then pretended to pay attention to Finn's nonsense. That's when the light came on.

...

Quinn ran the tip of her finger into the scar on her arm, the result of the torture she suffered at Azkaban. She couldn't say what was worse: whether she had been systematically raped for a time that seemed like an eternity by a scum who was obsessed with her, or whether there were endless tortures in Azkaban. The flesh didn't hurt any more. Except for the razor scars and the partial loss of the full extension of the right elbow pronation movement, there were no signs of ill-treatment. But the psychological pain was there, almost entirely. The pain of rape, torture through cruelty or simply by blows. Until the probable abortion she'd suffered at Azkaban. As for that, in the midst of so many conflicting thoughts, she thought it was a blessing. How could she raise a child born of hatred?

Even with all the assistance, Quinn still had trouble sleeping. It was difficult for her to be on a battlefield. As much as she was thirsting for revenge, the whirlwind of her personal life wouldn't leave her alone. Quinn still had to deal with the paradox that she didn't think about it and didn't want to be anywhere else, despite Santana's constant offer to get her away from the war. Despite being in a camp full of allies, Quinn preferred the isolation because she couldn't trust people anymore, and sometimes she lost her breath as if she were about to have a panic attack. She just didn't allow herself to break completely because the idea of revenge was much stronger. Santana might be the chosen one, but she had the genuine desire to kill, no matter if it could mark the soul to the point of fragmenting it. Everyone's soul was marked in some way.

"Quinn?" She heard Mike's voice outside the tent. "Are you there? I can get in? I brought a snack."

The friend came in anyway. It hurt Mike's heart to find his friend sitting in a chair in the corner of the tent, hugging her own legs. Quinn should be a hawk and fly through the skies at an incredible speed that lives up to the bird of lightest and fastest prey of the animal kingdom. Being an Animagus was like invoking the patron whom she was never able to do. But after her capture, even that didn't attract her anymore.

"Fries," Mike offered. "You love french fries with mustard."

Quinn nodded and sat down normally. She took two potatoes sticks made to perfection by the house elves who were in the camp. They were wonderful, crunchy at the right spot and warm. Too bad she wasn't really hungry.

"They're good."

"They're magical," Mike gestured dramatically.

Quinn smiled briefly. It was the most she could give.

"Don't you want to go for a ride? Seize the rest of the remaining sunlight? Chill a bit?"

"Mike, I'm honestly not going to get into this mood of everybody saying goodbye to everyone for the massacre tomorrow. I'd rather stay here than concentrate."

"Don't concentrate so hard, Fabray." The two were surprised by Santana's entry, which instead of fries had a bottle of buttery beer in hand. "What we need is a little soft talk, and everything gets easier with beer."

Santana picked up some sheets of paper that, with a touch of her hands, began to take the form of cups with the hardened structure that looked like glass. She put the three transfigured cups on the little table next to the potatoes and the beer bottle.

"Awesome," Mike said as he examined the newly formed cups.

"Little trick I created while traveling with Lily around the world. These improvisations are very useful when you have few resources in the middle of nowhere. The lack of a simple plastic cup with a Mickey print teaches you how to be creative." Santana explained as Mike opened the bottle to serve the three of them.

"They say you also learned to fly," Mike commented as Quinn remained silent. "This one I wanted to see to believe."

"It's more like jumping high straight than flying." Santana took a sip. "It doesn't look like a hippogriff."

"Or a hawk." Quinn grunted, still not drinking the beer.

"You're an Animagus, I'm not. That's an unfair advantage in that."

Quinn didn't respond and couldn't disguise her disgust.

"Did you get any news about Lily?" Mike changed the subject as he sensed the tension in the room.

"I got a note yesterday. She's fine despide the huge belly and the gases. The important thing is that she is safe with her mother and her aunt."

"Isn't it scary? I mean, know you're about to be a mother?" Mike was talking willingly and ignoring Quinn's disgusted face, who followed the conversation in silence.

"It's more than scary! I don't know if I'll be a good mother if I can get through it without making serious mistakes." Santana tried to abstract the fact of being in a war and the possibility of losing the duel. It was better to have a bit of optimism, if only a little, and to think about the future helped.

"That's right, San. The birth of a child is scary." Quinn said scornfully.

Santana put down her cup of beer on the improvised coffee table and frowned at her friend, surprised by the terrible humour. She thought about how to reply, but that would completely ruin her purpose of going there: to talk and try to relieve some of the tension for herself and Quinn. It was a tactic she was trying to do before she got into a serious business she had to discuss with her friend. Santana decided to ignore it and took a sip of beer again.

"I think you and Lily are going to be fine. Look at the example of my older sister... she was the least likely person to be a mother, but she become kind of good about that."

"Kyla's in China, right?" Santana asked.

"To the joy of my parents." Mike drank some of the beer while Quinn continued to drink.

"It's funny to see you as the black sheep of the family."

"No wonder they cut off from me."

Santana smiled and nodded to Mike. Quinn remained motionless, gradually increasing the tension in the room. This made the uncomfortable silence fall between the three of them.

"Quinn, can I talk to you for a minute alone?" Santana asked, making Quinn hesitate for a moment.

"I have some things to do... You guys feel at ease," Mike said awkwardly.

"No, Mike, stay and finish the beer. I'll talk to Santana outside. It'll be good to get some fresh air, anyway."

Quinn placed the paper cup on the table and walked out of the tent, accompanied by her best friend. Quinn folded her arms. Rather it was a position that demonstrated individualism and a certain arrogance on her part. But after all the trauma, the crossing of arms became a gesture of self-protection and detachment.

"About tomorrow, Fabray, I think you should stay behind. Stay with Rachel. You will protect each other." Santana wanted it to sound like a suggestion, but her tone was almost imposing.

"Negative. I want to be there with you." Quinn said without looking at her friend.

"You're off balance."

"And so are you, Lopez." Quinn challenged her. "You were orphaned in less than a month. Your girlfriend is about to give birth. There are a lot of people wanting your head. You can't shape your patronus anymore, and you're going to tell me that I'm out of balance?"

"The point is I have no choice. You have! You should stay behind for your sake and the rest of the team."

"Exactly, Lopez, I have a choice. The great leader of this shit is saying that directly to me. So respect my decision."

"Quinn." Santana sighed in frustration. "Please don't want to be a martyr. That's my role. You were always a survivor. You were able to betray me because it was the most convenient for you. Don't be stupid and survive once again. Stay back, for God sake. You've given yourself more than you needed in this war and paid a very high price."

"That's really why you want me to stay? Because I'm a fucking survivor?"

"It's not just because of that. You're important to the cause…"

"And to you?"

"Yes, and to me."

"Why am I important to you? Say it, Lopez."

"Come on, Fabray..."

"Say it, or I'm going to the front tomorrow."

"Because I love you, and I can't lose you too. Satisfied?"

Quinn didn't even know exactly why she preached Santana to professing the love she felt for her. Such an attitude was petty at the time. But she couldn't deny that she liked to tear out such confessions of the chosen one. It was good to hear that she was loved from the mouth of the person she was most devout in that world.

"Say goodbye to your sister. That's what I would do if I were you." Quinn said when she noticed Rachel watching them in the distance.

Quinn turned her back and left Santana planted in the middle of the conversation, stunned by Slytherin's attitude. Quinn returned to the tent and found Mike who had waited patiently.

"Did you hear that?" Quinn asked dryly.

"I tried not to. Santana is not hiding what she thinks these last days."

"Do you agree with her? That I should stay behind?"

"Yes, I do."

"Well, I don't!"

"You and Santana have such a strong bond and all this sexual tension… I know you want to fight and kill Evans by her side, but you're really out of shape." Mike sighed and shook his head.

"I know I'm not 100%, but you do understand my reasons. It's beyond Santana. It's beyond Evans. It's also about us."

"Of course, I do understand all your reasons. We spent three years together, we were more than just a team of informants. You, Rose, Scorpius, Teddy, Lorcan, Athena and me... we didn't eat bread that the devil kneaded to reach the final stretch of this war and leave all the glories for the refugees. I know what you want to do and I'll watch your back."

"You always watch my back, Mike. Thanks."

Mike smiled and toasted the rest of the beer. He drank it all in and left Quinn alone, as she wished to be first. Quinn sat back hugging her legs, but this time her mind turned to a certain rage in the world. It was better than feeling sorry for herself.

Anger and rancour were foods she needed right now. Quinn closed her eyes to rest. That's when the light came on.

...

Henry Ollivander loved challenges. The best part in making wands, besides continuing an ancient art, was the challenge in making new combinations, in being able to combine elements without blowing the half of the village. There was an association of researchers and manufacturers of wands, with scholars from various parts of the world. They used to meet in congress every three years, but the war in Europe canceled the event that would happen in Berlin. It was a pity for Henry, who was virtually confined to Hogsmeade for more than three years.

Ollivander still remembers with a certain dread when, a little more than a year after the fall of Hogwarts (and of him hiding Santana, Quinn and Neville in the basement of his house), one day Samuel Evans himself knocks at his door. He was accompanied by Zabini, dressed in very tight clothing, and the scars still fresh on the side of his neck. Henry's mission to that night was very simple: to polish the wood of the wand built by Samuel Evans himself. Henry still remembered that this was the most watched work he'd ever done. He, as a wood craftsman, worked for a whole week on polishing the wand and carving. Whenever a stage was over, Samuel would pick up his wand and carry it. Samuel brought it back the next day, sat in the chair next to him, and didn't take his eyes from the specialist. But what Henry most remembered was the energy the wand emanated: it was different, heavy, out of the darkness.

Henry also felt something different in the fragment of wand that Santana had brought from the surroundings of Hogwarts. Essentially, the wand, which had been an authentic deathly hollow, was ruined. But Santana had given him the task of trying to re-use anything from the small surviving fragment to a new wand. Henry wouldn't have been more than a week to accomplish this task. It was only what Henry Ollivander thought of since he received the errand.

The fragment was amazingly powerful. The wood was definitely oak, but of such an old tree, that Henry was afraid to estimate age and come to absurd conclusions. He went to the basement workshop, selected a piece of well-oiled wood, and wrapped the fragments of wood so that they were closer to the core. As for the kernel, Henry didn't work with thestrall hair. It was a rare element that no one liked to manipulate because the magical driving force was activated by death itself. In other words, it had to be combined with something already dead. Animals generally didn't have to be killed to make wands. Henry consulted the Ollivanders' private research library to find a solution, since thestrall's hair negated the effects of the most common core types: dragon and unicorn.

Some trials and he realized that thestrall's hair reacted with the bone powder of the famous basilisk killed by Harry Potter in the Chamber of Secrets. So the new wand was made. Then he returned to the camp and asked to call the chosen one.

"It was the best I could do." Ollivander showed the wand to Santana and Draco Malfoy. "It's obviously not as powerful as the original one, but it's still the most powerful wand I've ever built. The finish is rudimentary. Aesthetically it's a bad job, but I didn't have the time."

Santana watched the wand still raw and hesitated for a moment.

"Are you sure it's safe?"

"If you want to fight Evans with the same firepower, that's the only way out."

Santana held the magic object. The energy was really strong, considering that the contact of the wand with the saddle skin caused a gentle tingling sensation.

"Let's go! Try it!" Ollivander said anxiously to see the result.

When Santana maneuvered her wand for a little test, everything exploded.


	26. Final battle - part 2 epilogue

It's not known why there are wizards and muggles. And even among muggles, it's not known why certain people are gifted with extraordinary abilities and not another. Nor it's known why humans are connected with elements and even creatures, to the point that it interferes with their personality. But they are things that exist, whether you believe it or not.

There were many symbologies that made Gryffindors and Slytherins antagonistic. Some of them seemed mere mythologies, but they were very real. The animals that symbolize the houses, for example. The basilisk was one of the most powerful and rare magical creatures. Possibly, Harry Potter extinguished the species by killing the basilisk in the secret chamber. Griffin was also one of the rarest and most powerful magical creatures. The existence of three griffins was known worldwide. In one way or another, what mattered was that basilisks and griffins were natural opponents. They were naturally antagonistic forces of an antagonistic nature. Griffins and basilisks were animals capable of killing themselves. They were predators of each other.

Henry Ollivander wasn't a spy for Samuel Evans or any other supremacist who wanted Santana Lopez' head. He wasn't in that war to fulfill a tricky schedule. There was what used to be called "honest mistake." That is, that mistake that was made without the intention of harming someone. It was also called by the famous phrase: "shit happens". The wand specialist didn't make an honest mistake in reusing the remains of the elder wand. Yes, it was true that the result was pale in view of the power of the original object. He was an experienced expert in the craft, but faced with a challenge like those, he made an honest mistake by focusing on the challenge itself, forgetting the user.

That is, when making a wand with a basilisk nucleus, because it was the only thing in his workshop that reacted with the small sample of thestral hair, and deliver the object to someone whose patronus was a hippogriff, that is, an original creature of a griffin, the reaction would be the worst possible. The essence of Santana's magical energy simply antagonized the energy of the newly made wand. The result? Booom!

The bodies of Santana, Henry, and Draco were hurled a few feet with the force of the energy explosion. A light was generated, spreading all over the camp, and frightening all who were there. Rachel, as well as the others inside the tents, rushed out to know what had happened. She was on alert, her wand ready, ready to fight. That was when she saw that some tents were on the floor, and people were running toward people who were lying on the floor.

"Was it an attack?" She didn't ask anyone in particular. It was a question that was being answered by several people.

"I don't know," Finn replied, also very confused.

"It's Lopez!" Someone shouted.

Rachel didn't think twice. She ran toward the group that was supposed to be surrounding her sister. She pointed her wand at the small circle. Some people were magically pushed enough that she could get to her sister without having to open her way with her bare hands. When she reached Santana, she put her hand to her mouth and was terrified. Santana was in her bloodstained clothes and unconscious.

"She..." Rachel was afraid to complete the question.

"She's breathing," Grace James replied. She was kneeling beside Santana's body, giving her first healing.

"What the hell happened?" Rachel could hear people asking.

"I don't know. Suddenly the tent exploded."

"Was it an attack?"

"I don't know."

"She is alive?"

"What will we do?"

Rachel heard all the questions around her. There were a lot of people talking at the same time: people who were closer or not. In the midst of a small crowd, she identified Quinn and also Finn, who was immediately beside her.

"We're being attacked!" Someone shouted.

Rachel looked up into the dark new moon sky, and could see the shadows that flew over the camp and attacked on top of their brooms. A sudden panic swept over her. Rachel, panting and in a fit of adrenaline, threw herself against her sister's body, hugged her, and apparated.

They disapparated in the middle of Hogsmeade. In a moment of panic, that was the only place that came to mind. Disapparated right next to the Three Brooms, giving a scare to those who passed by. A man approached.

"You... oh, Merlin ..."

"Don't come near!" Rachel pointed the wand at the man.

She didn't rationalize law and, for that matter, was even more dangerous. One wrong move and she was prepared to apparate again, not realizing that the displacement always hurt the conditions of someone injured or frail health.

"I won't hurt you," the man assured him.

Rachel didn't want to pay to see. She hugged her sister one more time and disappeared. This time, she was more aware of where they should go. She still disappeared in the region, this time in the forbidden forest, near the Hangrid's old hut. Rachel conjured up a gentler version of levicorpus, and made her sister float to the hut, which was filthy with dirt and debris. At least it was a place where she thought she was protected. She picked up a container, took out dirt and dust as best she could, and conjured up water. The liquid, as pure magic, appeared in the vessel. She remembered a saying about a wizard starving, but never thirsty. Well, she thought the saying a little bad taste, but it was true. With the water, she wiped Santana's bloody face. There were no injuries to her sister's skin that justified the blood. Rachel wondered if the blood was actually Santana's.

"Enevarte!" Rachel conjured.

Santana woke up in a fright, lifting her trunk and sitting on that dirty floor. It took a while before she realized that everything was all right and that she was safe. Then she could recognize Rachel, despite the pitch in the cabin.

"What..." Santana said still confused.

"Lumus," Rachel conjured.

"Where are we?"

"Next to Hogwarts, in Hagrid's old hut," Rachel replied. "Santana, what happened?"

"I'm not sure ... I think the wand exploded."

"The wand with the fragment we came looking for at Hogwarts?"

"Yeah ... I don't think I can use it. At least, not with me handling it. Rach, why are we in Hagrid's hut?"

"The camp was being attacked. I had to think fast to protect you."

"We have to get back." Santana got off the ground with some difficulty. Her body was very sore.

"But you can't!"

"I can and I will." Santana reached for her own wand. She found it in the expected place, tied to her jeans.

"You're in no shape!" Rachel insisted.

"And? What kind of leader am I if I fled at the signal of the first crisis?" Then she smiled slightly at her sister and stroked Rachel's face. "You can stay. I won't be angry with you. On the contrary."

Santana apparated. Rachel sighed. She closed her eyes and also apparated back to the camp.

...

"Mom!" Lily shouted.

Ginny ran to the place her daughter had called her, and arrived a few moments later. It wasn't a big place. Ginny, Lilly and Hermione were in a secret apartment in Dublin. For security reasons, they spent no more than a week in the same address. There were a number of estates throughout Ireland that were destined to be the head of government of England who was exiled in Ireland under protection and agreement with the International Confederation. Even if real estate was repeated, the occupation sequence was random. This ensured the safety of Hermione Granger and her closest allies throughout the period of European occupation of supremacism.

That particular apartment was three-bedroom apartment located on R802, a street that Lily, accustomed to seeing more playful and lively places, found it depressing. Lily had a bad feeling throughout the week. Something motivated by the stress of the exile situation in a single city, her estrangement from her girlfriend, the advanced pregnancy, and a sixth sense that worried her: something was about to happen.

"Mom!" Lily yelled again.

"What?" Ginny appeared at the door of the room where her daughter was.

The woman put her hand to her mouth when she saw the reason for the cry. There was a puddle of water on the floor, and Lily was right in the middle of it, with some of the wet dress on.

"Oh!" Ginny took a few seconds to process the information that her granddaughter had decided to be born a week or two ahead of schedule. Ginny smiled at her daughter, seeking to convey tranquility and security. She took Lily's hand and led her to the chair.

"Santana will fight tomorrow. This should not be happening. She should be here with me!"

"I know, honey. I know." Ginny smiled. "Unfortunately this is not going to happen, so let's take a deep breath because you have a lot of work to do."

"But mom..." Lily repeated tearfully.

"Lilian Luna Potter II, I didn't rise you to weaken!" Ginny's tone was harder. "Be calm, or everything will seem worse than it really is. I need you to count the time between the contractions while I clean the water from here, al right?"

Lily nodded. Ginny kissed her daughter on the forehead and smiled confidently. She took the wand, pointed to the puddle of water, and began to make circular motions. The water began to focus on a smaller puddle on the ground, forming a ball. Gradually, the water began to float and to be led by Ginny, still very focused on the spell that seemed to be simple but that actually required a good level of concentration. A vacillation and the condensed water in a shapeless, translucent ball would fall to the ground, causing more dirt than before.

"Ginny! Lily!" Hermione burst into the apartment, doing exactly what Ginny didn't want. The water fell in the corridor and ran down the hall.

"What?" Ginny asked irritably as she faced her best friend and sister-in-law.

"We need to run. Our security guards are down. There is a coordinated attack going on. Dolohan is coming here."

"But we can't run away!" Ginny said in a low tone.

"Why?"

"Because this water on the floor came from inside your niece."

"Lily is in labor?" Hermione put her hand to her mouth.

"Lily is in labor! You can't apparate with her like that. It would be too risky."

Hermione looked at her sister-in-law and then went to the room where Lily was. She found her niece still sitting in the chair, looking frightened.

"Auntie..." Lily said crying after hearing the brief conversation. "What do we do?"

"Lily, do you understand that apparate is our best chance, but also our most risky choice?"

"Yes."

"You decide."

"I think I can apparate just once."

"I'm against it," Ginny protested.

"Mom, I won't be able to run or fly. I understand the risks."

Ginny took Lily's old backpack. The decision was made. Hermione led the way, while Ginny and Lily tried to walk as fast as they could. They had to leave the building before apparated. Hermione had to act as soon as she stepped out of the building. Dolohan's agents were just eliminating the last auror.

"You couldn't beat me even when I was 17, you bastard!" She said more to herself as she did her best to bring down the five wizards who were giving her too much trouble.

Ginny joined Hermione. With all her friend's talent, she still needed coverage.

"Ginny. On three!"

Ginny turned to her daughter and pulled her out of the building. Hermione took Ginny's hand and apparated. When they disappeared, they were in the middle of an avenue on the edge of a forest in Wales.

"Oh my God!" Lily bowed at the throbbing sensation in her belly. Ginny immediately came to the aid of her daughter.

"What the hell, Mione? You brought us into the middle of nowhere with my daughter in labor! What do we do? Get in that forest in the middle of the night?"

"It's not the middle of nowhere!"

Hermione conjured lumus and entered the forest. Ginny, holding Lily, hesitated for a moment to follow her friend. She was afraid, angry, apprehensive. But if there was one thing she learned to do over all those years was that one could trust life to Hermione Granger.

"Mom..." Lily gritted her teeth as she felt another contraction.

Ginny stopped walking, holding her daughter to her feet. The apparation accelerated Lily's labor, and from the nearness of the contractions, she feared that Lily would give birth in the bush in the midst of all that darkness.

"Just a few more yards," Hermione said as she helped her niece. "Trust me."

"I don't know if I can walk." Lily was wet with sweat. The contractions were very close and she couldn't walk anymore.

Terrified, Ginny opened her daughter's torn old backpack, which accompanied her on a journey through the world. There was a whole house in there if they needed it.

"It's only a few yards away!" Hermione insisted.

"No way, Mione," Ginny said angrily as she heard her daughter's screams. "Accio mattress."

The air mattress flew out of the backpack. Ginny used magic again to inflate it in seconds. Lily lay down on the mattress she'd shared with Santana countless times in their travels around the world.

"Have you ever had did it in your life?" Hermione asked.

"No."

"I'll get help!"

Hermione ran to the place that was originally willing to go, leaving mother and daughter in the woods. Lily screamed. Ginny conjured lumus and lifted her daughter's dress. She was startled when she took Lily's soaked panties off. She wasn't an expert, but she had given birth to three children. She remembered every reading she'd had about giving birth when she'd been pregnant with James, and everything she'd read about during Lily's pregnancy. Lily remembered the procedures that were done.

"Mom!" Lily shrieked, clenching her teeth.

"Everything will be fine."

Ginny smiled at Lily, and without taking her eyes off her daughter, she did what she had to do: she inserted two fingers into Lily's vagina to check for dilation. It was crazy, but she was sure she touched her granddaughter's head, not to mention she managed to open her fingers in the "V" position inside. Ginny opened her eyes and looked at her daughter.

"Lily... I know it hurts like hell, but you're going to have to push. Now!"

Ginny positioned herself between her legs and hold Lily's hand, sustaining her daughter, as if Lily was doing sit-ups.

"Push, Lil, push"

"Go to hell, mom. That hurts!"

Even with the pain, Lily pushed. She screeched, clenched her teeth, and pushed. Ginny saw her granddaughter's head appear in her daughter's vagina. She didn't know exactly how to get the child, but she was there to act. Lily let out a guttural growl, and Ginny held the child's head. Carefully, she pulled the little body out. She couldn't believe that she had her granddaughter on her hands. The emotion she felt was unbelievable. Ginny cried and smiled. Despite being dirty, wrapped in sebum, and swollen, the child was simply perfect. The child began to cry well in time.

"She's beautiful!" Ginny handed her granddaughter into the arms of an exhausted, tearful, but happy Lily.

It was the time to see people approaching with lanterns in hand. They were Muggles, of course. Lily hugged the child and Ginny braced herself to defend her daughter and granddaughter. The tension was short. It was Hermione back in the company of a couple.

"Wow, you weren't kidding it was an emergency, Mione." The man said pointing the flashlight at the women. The scene was, in fact, impressive.

"These are Tom and Carla Granger. Tom is my cousin and they know about this war."

"How?" Ginny asked.

"I think we'd better take care of this situation first." Carla knelt before Lily and Ginny. "Don't feel offended. I'm a veterinarian, but I can perfectly help them if I may."

A vet was better than nothing. Lily, holding her newborn daughter, nodded. She was not even in a position to dispense help out of pride.

"Okay," Carla opened the briefcase with surgical instruments. She picked up some sterile scissors, wiped her hands with alcohol as best she could, and put on disposable gloves. Then she took the umbilical cord and offered the scissors to Ginny. "Do you want to do the honors?" As soon as Ginny cut the cord, Carla smiled. "Now let's get that placenta out!"

...

Santana disappeared in the chaos of a battle in the camp, with Rachel right behind her. The original plan was to lure the extremists with a bait-party led by Santana herself. The international force that supposedly would be in Italy, would close the supremacists and thus eliminate the offensive forces once and for all. But it was the opponents who surprised to "anticipate" the attack at an unplanned point.

It was dark, there was a lot of smoke, fire, screams, duels on all sides and bodies on the floor. The battle was spread out as a result of the open field and surprise attack. Santana had no time to compose herself. She removed the wand that was attached to the jeans holder and began to act. She looked up at the sky and noticed that there were some air strikes. Many of the Allied rebels played quidditch and a broom was like an extension of the body.

"Stay close, Rach!" She ordered her sister.

They flowed through the smoke, the fire, the dirt, and the flashes of the wands in their duels. It was necessary to be careful, because the bad visibility was bad, it wasn't easy to distinguish who was a rebel and who was a death eater. Santana wanted to look for Quinn and her friends, but first of all, she needed to do her part. She defended herself from an attack thanks to the extraordinary reflex she had. She countered with accuracy while Rachel gave her cover. The sisters acted as a team. They knocked down their opponent. Santana didn't have time to know who he was. She recognized another death eater in the nearest duel, attacked the opponent, left him out of action, and ran to see if the ally was well. It was Lupercia Potter.

"Are you hurt?" Santana asked.

"I'm fine," she said, running a hand over her face to relieve the dust.

"Stay with us."

Santana didn't know exactly what plan she should execute in the face of absolute chaos, but she understood that the scattered battle as it was would only benefit the opponent himself. She remembered the strategies of defense training with the refugees in the camp that proved successful as soon as the population overcame the initial scare of the attack. They ran to the nearest duel. They added three to two and won. They rescued Glory Watson, who had a wound in the back. Santana kept going forward, instructing the group to give her cover. They managed to reach a pair of allies who were having problems. It was Mike and Teddy.

"Did you see Quinn?" Santana asked Mike urgently.

"No! I didn't see her."

"Okay, don't break the unit, let's move like a block. I'll provide protection. Mike goes ahead and you protect the other directions.'"

They started walking around Santana, who conjured a force field that surrounded the group. Moving squarely wouldn't be good in a Muggle war, but wizards didn't use firearms, especially the supremacists, as they were vulgar instruments. With each rescue, the platoon increased and divided in another that was organizing the chaos. The group advanced among other duels to liquidate the opponent and to structure other wizards to form other blocks of attack.

When the rebels managed to regain control of the situation and territory, the death eaters retreat. Santana wasn't comfortable, much less relieved. Quinn was nowhere to be found, though close friends of her survived the surprise attack.

"Now what are we going to do?" Santana was surprised by Draco Malfoy. She allowed herself to think for a minute before answering.

"They will regroup and will come back. Albus, go with Rachel to your father. I hate to say that, but we need Harry Potter and his army. Malfoy, take care of the wounded. Arrange everything to get out of here with them. We are in the open sky and we lose our advantage."

"What about the dead ones?" Mike asked.

"There's nothing we can do for them right now."

The allies began lighting torches throughout the camp. Santana signaled the groups that should rescue the wounded and those who should be on guard. She went on to help rescue the wounded, relying not only on the notions of first aid she had but also motivated to find the people she loved and couldn't find in the midst of battle.

Santana recognized a figure crouched beside a wounded man (or would it be a body?). It was Marley. She breathed a relieved breath for a moment until she noticed that her friend was crying compulsively. Santana knelt down beside her, rested her hand on her shoulder and looked at the person lying on the floor. She didn't recognize the man Marley was crying for, nor did she care. Santana pulled Marley into a strong hug.

"He saved me... he stepped in front of me as I was somebody important. But I'm not..." Marley didn't contain the crying.

Santana looked again at the dead man in the mud. She felt guilty for not recognizing him, especially now that she knew the stranger apparently saved Marley's life, for whom Santana had high regard. One way or another, the altruistic attitude seemed to add more and more to Santana's debt and responsibility to the rebels. She broke the hug and only then can check Marley's physical condition. The Hufflepuff's girl had her eyebrow open and the blood draped over the side of her face.

"It doesn't look serious to me, but you have to see Malfoy," Santana said in a low, cautious tone. "There's nothing else we can do for him. Yet we can strive to honour him. For that, you need to get up. "

"He protected me," Marley said, unable to stop crying. "He died because he took my place."

"He died like a hero. But this is not him anymore and you need to move on. There is a battle to finish. Then we come back, we identify him and honour him."

Santana grabbed Marley by the arm, lifted her, and hugged her once more. She wanted to give her friend time to breathe. It was a war, people died, sacrificed. The reality was hard, raw.

"Lopez!" Rose ran to both. "We need to decide what to do now. They will attack again."

Santana nodded to Rose. She was right. But first, she led Marley to the improvised service station Draco Malfoy organized. Santana was impressed and saddened by the amount of injuries she had been mustering. Everything was still confusing, Draco yelled at the other healers and volunteers about sorting out the wounded. What would happen is that those injured would be severed according to gravity. While Marley was treated to the touch of magic, which consisted of throwing a mech in the cut and putting a bandage on top, Santana walked slowly among the wounded, watching closely the work of the healers.

Among the wounded were the Scamander twins and a few other Weasleys. Henry Ollivander was also still unconscious and seemed to be in poor condition. Santana understood that in the explosion, he got the worse part of it. And that part of the blood that was in her clothes was his. But Santana could do nothing for him. She couldn't afford to feel guilty. Among the other wounded, there were no signs of Quinn Fabray, which began to make Santana apprehensive about her best friend's fate.

"Let me see that." Draco approached Lysander Scamander not at all subtly and examined the cut on his arm. Santana watched the action from a distance. "It's nothing!" He just picked up some more of that gore and smeared it on the arm of the Hippogriff Order member. Then he bandaged the wound. "Hold for about five minutes and it will be brand new."

"Malfoy." Santana joined the healer. "We need to talk."

"I can't, Lopez, too busy." Draco said roughly.

"I know... but I need you to help move all the wounded as quickly as possible. You can end the treatment somewhere else."

"They won't come back."

"They can come back. It's a war tactic." Santana said firmly. "We don't have much time. They will come back and try to get us unstructured to massacre us instead. So you get the wounded who can't or don't want to fight and get the hell out of here in a maximum of 10 minutes. End of discussion."

"Who made you the leader of this, young lady?"

"I am the chosen one. I'm the leader."

The wounded people nearby watched Santana with astonishment. The chosen one was always a leader that didn't want to be one. Santana was someone forced by fate. But the front of the war forced Santana to assume her birth role. The place was dark, cold, and beginning to dazzle. But Santana looked like a being who wouldn't be affected by anything. It was as if she could convince the most hesitant to follow her. Marley watched Draco struggle against his own pride. He, a representative of one of the most traditional and respected families of wizards in history, a pure blood, the subject who became the best healer of his generation. There was Draco receiving an ultimatum from the half-breed daughter of a subaltern immigrant son who worked for him.

"I need at least 15 minutes to complete the screening."

"Do it in seven!" Santana said without taking her eyes off the healer. "And... thank you for working under these conditions."

Finn Hudson approach Santana as a gnarled tractor. He hugged Santana in the first place.

"Where's Rachel?" The tall man asked anxiously.

"She's ok. I sent her out on a mission with Albus."

"Thanks to Merlin, Rachel's fine."

"She saved me." Santana exchanged glances with Finn. It was the confirmation of what deep down everyone knew: that Rachel was an extraordinary duelist and could very well take care of herself.

The galleon in Santana's pocket began to vibrate and to warm. She took the coin and had trouble reading the message. It was a code between her and Lily. In the dim lights of torches, she tried to make sure she read the right code. Then she turned pale.

"What is it?" Finn was surprised by Santana's uneasy behavior.

"Lily... my daughter was born..."

"What now?" Finn was apprehensive.

"And now, we're going to end this war."

"What do you have in mind?"

"Win this shit." Santana raised her wand and sent out a discreet light signal, indicating that the leaders should find it.

Santana was surrounded by Finn Hudson, Rose Granger-Weasley, Scorpius Malfoy, Marley Rose, Mike Chang, The Scamander, Athena Milles, Grace James, Anya Caulfield and Gail Thomas.

"Lily had the baby," Santana informed Rose especially.

She smiled. At least good news in the midst of chaos.

"Maybe you'd better go with your girlfriend. I think it would be better to postpone it anyway. Let's retire and regroup", Athenas Milles suggested.

"No." Santana replied firmly. "If we back down, they're going to massacre us. Evans is attacking, it means that his army is here, not there. This is our chance."

"You want all these people to risk their necks because you don't know how to retreat?" Milles insisted.

"I was hiding for three years. No more."

"What's on your mind, Lopez?" Scorpius asked.

"Let's go to Hogwarts."

"Why?" Finn asked.

"Evans's wand is so powerful and faithful to him because it's essentially a Horcrux. We tried to reuse the wand fragment from the wands, but today's explosion shows that I am incompatible with the handling of that wand that Ollivander tried to do."

"Why?" Finn asked.

"I have no idea, Hudson. The point is, if Evans's wand is a Horcrux, the only weapon I know capable of destroying such an object is at Hogwarts."

"The Gryffindor sword," Rose murmured. "No one has seen this sword since the last war. Isn't illogical to run after an object that you don't even know if it's there?"

"The sword is there. It appears whenever a Gryffindor is in need. The sword attended your uncle, and later it attended Longbottom."

"Isn't you too pretentious to say it will be like this with you?" Rose challenged.

"Maybe." Santana stared at Lily's cousin. "The sword need not heed my call, Weasley. Maybe it will suit yours, or any other Gryffindor that deserve."

"And Lily?" Finn asked.

"She's in good hands."

...

Lily was exhausted. After finishing the expulsion of the placenta, Tom carried her, along with the newborn child, to the house of the small farms that the couple maintained. It was no coincidence that Lily, whose patronus was a mare, would stop at such a place. Tom put her on a double bed in a large but very simple room. Carla took clean towels to clean and shelter the baby while Hermione helped the best she could, Ginny tried to clean her daughter. She took a sweater from her backpack, cleaned Lily with a damp towel, made her decent, dignified, before returning the newborn child to her mother's arms.

"She's a very strong little girl." Carla handed the child back to Lily, already clean and dry, settled into a comfortable bed.

Lily, even exhausted, smiled weakly and held the child in her arms.

"She needs to nurse. Did the milk come down?" Ginny asked.

"I don't know. Actually, I don't even know what to do. I should have done all those classes that pregnant muggle women do, but I couldn't, I didn't have time." Lily threatened to cry. She was happy, terrified, anxious, sad. All at once.

"Calm down!" Ginny tried to comfort her daughter. "It's not a seven-headed creature. Take her mouth to your nipple and we'll see if she can get it."

"Santana should be here," Lily complained.

"Santana is resolving a war," Hermione assured her.

"Oh..." Lily gasped as the baby began to suck on her nipple. "She's strong, and she looks hungry!"

"She's perfect." Ginny smiled.

"Does she have a name?" Carla asked.

"Yes. Santana may be upset, but I think it's a name more than fair."

"Aren't you going to tell me?" Ginny asked.

"Not while Santana doesn't arrive. That's what would be fair."

"I agree."

"Mom..."

"Yes?"

"You passed the message to Santana?"

"Yes."

"So?"

"Lily, I think you need to rest. We will have answers tomorrow."

...

They arrived in the middle of the forbidden forest. From that point on it was impossible to see Hogwarts due to dense vegetation. They had to be careful, because Evans's agents could be there guarding the space. Santana motioned for them to be silent. She conjures a magic compass and pointed to the direction of the castle and led the group cautiously. As soon as the forest cleared, she and her companions were surprised by the seeming tranquility. They could see lights on and a few lookers around. But everything was seemingly normal considering there was a direct war going on. Hogwarts was a strategic place to be the heart of everyone British magic.

"I smell a trap," Mike commented to the small group.

"Rachel and I were here last week. It would be strange if they had not taken any steps." Santana pointed her wand at the castle and conjured a single ray of light. The group watched the small light being interrupted in what appeared to be a force field.

"Obviously!" Rose grunted. "Of course this obstacle is nothing. All we need is the elder wand and an army to break the barrier."

"We can try to go under," Santana said, already moving.

"Where are you going?" Marley ran to her the leader side.

"To the screaming house. There's a passage over there."

"But all the secret passages to Hogwarts have been turned off," Marley argued.

"Not all of them. Quinn, Neville and I escaped that time diving in by the old sewage system nobody knew about. The screaming house is opens. I know it."

"You can't go to the screaming house." Mike frowned. "Besides, the passage that existed there didn't lead to the castle."

"But it leads to the fighter willow, which is inside the barrier. That's enough." Santana continued to move toward the house without paying much attention to her friend's pleas.

Santana continued to lead the small group consisting of the Order of Hippogriff to the old house and then pointed to Mike, Rose, and Marley. She asked the others to stand by. The four of them advanced toward the place that still held the reputation of being haunted. Mike felt some regret at being there. The House was Teddy Lupin's informal pre-war residence. He wanted to transform the place where his father suffered the terrible pain of transformation into something refreshed. The war made Teddy leave the house, but he always told the intelligence force group how important the place was to him.

Santana and Marley didn't know this side of Teddy. They barely knew Teddy Lupin. That's why Mike felt bad when he deactivated the protection spell that had been conjured in one of the entrances. He was even more insulted when Marley began to tinker with some of those things as they entered a strangely well-kept, dusty place, as if no one had appeared for months, which was true.

"Don't touch that, please," Mike warned.

"Why?" Marley was confused by the abruptness of Mike's speech.

"Because those are Teddy's parents. This photo is very valuable to him."

"If it's so valuable, why are it here in this old house?" Marley asked.

"The house is protected if you haven't noticed." Mike replied to his younger colleague. He still found it strange to work with the refugee camp staff. They looked amateur in front of what he, Lorcan, Teddy, Rose, Scorpius and Quinn did. Unfortunately, Teddy was seriously injured and no one knew about Quinn.

"Marley." Santana caught her friend's attention. "We're here on business. Leave Lupine's things alone." She turned to Mike. "Where's the passage?"

"It's locked, Lopez."

"That's what the legend says," Santana said following her colleague.

The four of them went downstairs to the basement, and then Mike grunted. He looked very well where he was stepping. He opened a kind of trunk, which proved to be the secret passage they needed.

"All the mains secret passages to Hogwarts were blocked, except the one that connected the precise room to Dumbledore's bar." Marley was amazed at the revelation.

"Some were recovered in secret." Mike grunted, then turned to the leader. "How did you know? Teddy never wanted to wrap this place in this mess."

"My father knew. He himself helped restore this passage when Lupin was still studying at Hogwarts." Rose said almost casually. "But he never considered this passage very useful because it doesn't lead properly to the castle, but even to the willow tree."

"This is the worst-kept secret of our world." Santana scoffed. "That's why we need to be cautious."

They entered the tunnel and checked all trails for traps or any problem. Everything seemed clean. Santana signaled for the rest of the group to join her. In a few minutes, the whole group was crossing the secret passageway in single file. Santana ahead and Mike as the last man. They got safely to the end of the tunnel and smiled at their goal. Hogwarts was protected, but the area didn't include the basement. Santana conjured the spell to paralyze the Willow tree.

"What now?" Mike asked, still irritated.

"The black tower is never protected and I know all its shortcuts." Santana watched. "Marley and I are flying there."

"Marley?" Mike questioned. "With all respect, but Marley spent too much time out of the war. She's not ready."

"I've been handling this situation really well so far and I can continue doing this," Marley snorted. "Don't underestimate me, Chang."

"Besides..." Santana smiled a little. "I can fly, but I don't have super strength. I can't carry you, Chang. Our target is the old Gryffindor Common Room. If we can get there without being noticed, even better."

"You should have brought a second team." Mike was still unsure which was the best plan.

"The less people are better at this kind of work," Rose said. "But I agree with Mike on one point: with all due respect, but Marley is not the best option. If weight is your problem, take me. I have experience in this kind of work."

Santana thought for a moment and saw that Rose was right. After all, Rose remained active and on the front line for all those years. Santana hugged Rose and took off. Or rather, she jumped high with some direction control. It would still take a long time to control that ability. But what she had was just fine. Flying over the castle brought conflicting feelings to both girls. It was the first time Rose had returned to Hogwarts since she graduated. For Granger-Weasley, Hogwarts had nothing but good memories. For Santana, the Hogwarts takeover and Evans' ascension was a terrible event of her life. Returning to Hogwarts, effectively entering the castle, was like facing some inner ghosts.

They landed high on the black tower, exactly on the patio where the them teenagers, Santana and Lily, were having fun in a meeting before the bomb literally exploded. The memories were there, but Santana repressed them. She signaled to her colleague that she should stay behind for support. They walked down the stairs in silence and needed to hide quickly when they noticed a monitor approaching. He was a student with the Slytherin shield that seemed oblivious to every situation. They let him through and continued the journey to the old Gryffindor house.

Despite the general disgust when every Gryffindor was extinguished at Hogwarts, the action of the supremacist government wasn't a surprise. It was as if the new government wanted to eliminate the main source of opposition from the wizarding world. Ravenclaws could have dubious morality because the rationality that was natural to them rejected extremes and tended to follow a political line of center, which wasn't all bad. The Hufflepuffs have always been the glue of the wizarding world, and Evans used the experience he had right there in that house to be a more charismatic leader. The Slytherins tended to be conservative, and Gryffindors were liberal by nature.

All the veteran gryffindors were expelled from Hogwarts, the students up to the third year were relocated to other homes. The Gryffindor tower was sealed and abandoned. House-related ghosts are said to have been confined among the ruins. Santana wasn't interested in the ghosts, much less in the destiny of the house that should be destined. She needed a weapon and the best chance she would have to find it was in that ruined tower. The two waited for the move in front of the stairs to pass before they advanced.

"I wish I had your uncle's cloak," Santana whispered to Rose.

"It is possible to jump from the black tower to one of the dormitory windows. If the hippogriff flew from the willow tree down there, a jump of a few yards will be nothing."

They returned to the black tower, a relatively easy route. They climbed to the top of the tower, and Santana calculated the distance and the strength she should make. In fact, the jump would be nothing compared to what it had to do previously.

"Get ready to pop the window. I'll be busy holding you... and flying."

Santana hugged Rose and jumped directly toward one of the dormitory windows of the Gryffindor tower. Rose did her part and broke the window before they collided. As they passed through the structure, Santana swayed with shock in a glass shard and they both rolled onto the floor of what used to be the boys' dormitory. Santana bared her teeth as she took a piece of shard from behind.

"Let me see ..." Rose quickly examined her colleague.

"It was nothing."

"But you're bleeding. Two minutes of a little pressure and .. "

"Rose..."

Santana caught the attention of her colleague when they saw teenagers entering the room. It was boys and girls who seemed to be between 12 and 17 years old, that is, the age of any regular student. The difference was that they had tired countenances. Some had bruises and wounds. Others had torn clothes and were dirty. One of them approached the two young women, a 15-year-old with Indian features and hair in a military court.

"You came back! Amelia said you'd go back and you're back!"

"What's going on here?" Santana was surprised. The week before, the students didn't look so desperate.

"I know you." Rose interrupted Santana and approached the boy. "You are Parvati Patil's son. Your father is a muggle and they live in Leeds, right?"

"Yes."

"Parvati... I don't believe it! I've lived with your aunt for the past few months." Santana said again. "Padma is with the refugees along with Longbottom. She talked about her sister and her nephews. Sorry for not recognizing you."

"That's okay." The boy nodded sheepishly.

"What happened here?" Rose asked. "This tower should be sealed and abandoned."

"Yes, it should be..." The boy replied amid other onlookers. "It's just that we needed a place to take refuge. We try to resist and give change after your visit. But they were stronger."

"Where Amelia James is?" Santana asked.

"She's stuck in the dungeons."

"Did you come here to take Hogwarts back?" Asked a light-haired girl who seemed to be the same age as Parvati Patil's son.

"In part. There is a war beyond the barrier. That's where I should go after getting what I need."

"What do you need?" Padma's nephew asked.

"The Gryffindor sword," Santana replied.

"It only shows up for a Gryffindor in need. Not to mention no one has seen her since the second wizarding war. No one knows where it is."

"There are no more Gryffindors at Hogwarts, either," said a girl who seemed to be younger.

"Do you believe this?" Santana argued more emphatically. "I am a Gryffindor who was forced to stay in Slytherin because of political issues from people who interfered in my life from an early age. Who guarantees that you all aren't in the same situation? Or some of you? They have eliminated Gryffindor's house, which doesn't mean that there are no more born Gryffindors. And if some of you are here talking to us without running to sound alarms for being intruders, well, that proves my point."

"Okay, suppose you're right. Yet we don't know where the sword is. How do we find it?"

"Let's hope the magic works. And may the sword accept our cause as righteous."

...

It wasn't that difficult to walk in a castle at night without being seen. While some students had some flexibility to come and go, most of them had to be in theirs dorms at that time. Still, it was uncomfortable for Santana and Rose to wander around the castle wary of any noise or shadow. They wore the school's robe just to be sure. Santana wore Slytherin's, which made her comfortable, for it was the outfit she'd worn with pride for years. Rose wore a robe borrowed from a Hufflepuff student. She didn't care about that.

They knew deep down that game had little chance of success. That they probably couldn't find the sword before someone got caught and bared their teeth. They needed more time. That's why the plans changed. Rose entered the potions room and mixed some ingredients while Santana stayed on guard.

"I'm not sure if this will work, Lopez. It sounds crazy."

"The sword need to find you, and you do need time and a situation. I'll give one."

"He will kill you."

"I know." Santana sighed. "But this is our last trick. My last one. I'm tired, Weasley. We are all exhausted. This has to end here. Old men can settle the politics later."

Rose nodded. She finished the potion and put it in a sealed vial. They left the sneaky room in the darkness of Hogwarts Castle. They wanted to be doing different things. Santana dreamed of being with Lily, but she had an urgent job to do.

"Here's the precise room." Santana sighed through the pitch of the corridors of the castle, where only a sparse torch provided some light in the early hours of the morning. "We need to separate now."

"I will do my best, but…" Rose frowned when Santana stopped the sentence in the middle. She watched as she reached into the back pocket of her pants and took the galleon. "Lopez? What happened this time? "

"Your father and the others are on the way. We don't have much time." She said quietly.

"We can stay here. Fight here."

"I didn't want to have a fight at Hogwarts. It's not fair to bring the war once more to this place."

"What are you going to do? I mean, there's still time to abort everything. You can go stay with Lily and your daughter."

"On the contrary. I can't allow my daughter to live in this fascist world. I have to end this here and now. That's why you have to go and stick with the new plan."

"Good luck." Rose walked away from Santana.

The chosen one still watched her colleague disappear down the hall. She sighed and let a tear trickle down her face. It gave the right to stay emotional for a minute and a minute only. Then she wiped away her tears, took a deep breath, and stared at the wall in front of her. A door came out like magic. Santana crossed it and smiled as she reviewed the old room where she spent hours and hours training first with Albus Potter and then with the people who would come to form the Order of Hippogriff.

She sat on the floor in an Indian position and waited.

...

Marley took the burning galleon and shivered in her pocket. She frowned as she checked the message. She thought something was wrong.

"What is it?" Mike approached when he noticed his friend's worried face.

"Change of plans."

"What?" Mike reacted disproportionately to the news. "How do they change plans? This one was very reasonable. Why change the plans?"

Marley looked once more at the galleon. There was a new message and then she looked towards the castle. There was a little more movement near the entrance bridge.

"We'll have to call the others."

...

Santana stood up calmly when she heard the first shock against the wall. She held her ebony wand and prepared herself. When the wall gave way to an explosion, the chosen one engaged in a force field, shifting the shrapnel away from her body. She put a fake smile on her face and stared at the group that entered the room. There was the headmaster and some of the teachers and even recognized one of the students who occupied the ruins of Gryffindor. She waved to the teenager.

"There's always a traitor." she said to herself.

Santana attacked with all her strength and ability. She knew at least one thing about the siege: that she wouldn't be killed there. They needed to capture her alive for Evans to kill her as a public spectacle. This would be crucial if he could assert authority and stifle the series of riots in the United Kingdom, since Europe had almost taken over again. Samuel needed a symbolic political feat. Without the "hippogriff," the international alliance that sealed off Britain would give them time for renegotiations.

Santana would have fun while she could. It was not going to be easy.

"Expelliarmus!"

"Levicorpus!"

"Stupeffy!"

"Fulgari!"

"Stupor!"

Santana heard all sorts of spells being conjured against her, but not any unforgivable curse, witch confirmed her point. She was able to divert them all. She knew that she had full powers to provoke a surge of energy capable of overthrowing all opponents, but she wouldn't. It wasn't part of the plan to win there. Santana flew over the teachers and tried to reach the destroyed wall. She managed to overthrow two teachers with counter-spells and ran down the aisle until she was hit by the back. The impact threw her forward and Santana lost consciousness even before her body hit the ground. That's it.

...

Anna Martel looked out the window and saw the strangely moving in Hogsmeade as the first rays of the sun set in the rainy autumn of northern Scotland. The villagers and shopkeepers of the little wizard village were headed down the main boulevard drawn by the hustle and bustle of Hogwarts. Still uncertain, the owl-mail administrator rushed off to talk to Clara Hamilton, who worked at the sporting goods store.

"What's going on?" She asked.

"Lopez was caught at Hogwarts. Evans is on his way."

"He'll kill her," Anna said with a sigh to the woman who knew she sympathized with the rebellious cause, but who didn't have the courage to go to the front.

"At least this war will come to an end," the girl said wistfully.

"It will be?"

"We need to get on with our lives." The woman finished and walked into the store. I wouldn't want to be in the crossfire.

...

Santana had her fists tied with her arms back behind her. She was on her knees looking toward the school entrance bridge where she could see a small crowd approaching. Of course, that asshole would want to do that at Hogwarts. The way the group moved showed that the protective field around the school had fallen, which for her was a good sign. It was early in the morning at the time it was possible to see the brightness of the star rising from behind the mountains that surrounded the castle. Beside Santana were the headmaster and some of the teachers. Behind her were the students, including the rebels. Some apprehensive, others eager to see the final show.

Samuel approached with the next death eaters, led by Noah Puckerman. The moment had come.

"Finally." Evans paused in front of his opponent and pointed his powerful wand at Santana, the tip a few inches from her face. "It would be so simple. It's tempting, but that's not how I'm going to beat you."

Samuel signaled to the Hogwarts' headmaster, who handed him the ebony wand. He took the object with a little contempt. He quickly scanned the material and wrapped the wand in both hands, which proved to be sturdier than normal.

"It was you who did it? Not that it really matters. I'm just curious."

"It was a gift," Santana replied, trying to control her own emotion. For her plan to continue to work, she needed to play.

"Interesting." Samuel threw the wand in Santana to humiliate and belittle her. "You can take your wand, Lopez. You'll need it if you want to survive five minutes."

It was an invitation to a duel. Of course Samuel couldn't murder her in cold blood, because that would demoralize him. It was a lesson he learned from Voldemort. No, he had a controlled situation there. He thought he had crushed the rebellion in England by having the camp attacked. There wasn't much help left for Santana. And even if there was, he had the contingent's own elite waiting for any surprise attack attempt. In many ways, that was the final line that the prophecy referred to. It would be Samuel's affirmation as the dictator of the region of the planet with the greatest magical energy.

Santana wiggled her fingers and the wand flew to her hand tied back. In a rapid movement, she managed to free herself and got up already prepared for the duel.

"If I die..." she tried to speak.

"Don't worry, Lopez, your death will be a blessing. You won't even be here to witness the end of your lineage."

Santana's chest filled with fury. She was willing to give her life, but Samuel had just made it clear that Rachel and her newborn daughter would be next. He would not stop with both. Who would be next? The Potters? The Weasleys? The Longbottons? The Scamanders? Quinn? No, Samuel was addicted not only to political and financial power. He wanted the power to decide between life and death.

Santana was the first to attack.

"Expelliarmus."

It was a correct stroke, well applied, but the wand remained in Samuel's hands. He smiled.

"You're not as strong as they say." Samuel scoffed.

"Everete Statum."

Samuel was surprised by a very strong shock wave that threw him backwards, even going to make a somersault on the ground. Santana smiled when she saw that her opponent was frightened. As if long ago no one had affected him that way.

"Then you're still bleeding," Santana said as she saw Samuel's flayed hand from shock and friction with the ground.

"Avada Kedavra!" Samuel attacked with hatred, but Santana defended herself, causing the powerful green energy to be divided and diverted from the tip of her wand.

There was a commotion in which witnessed the duel: part of the villagers, students and teachers of Hogwarts, as well as Samuel's elite guard. Santana was the first person to be able to defend herself against the fatal curse by Samuel since he built his own wand.

That's when Harry Potter and his army along with the order of the hippogriff arrived. Just in time.

"The joke is over," Samuel shouted.

Harry Potter attacked Samuel just to get his attention. The first chosen one stood beside his daughter-in-law and faced Samuel.

"What are your orders, Lopez?" Harry told Santana.

"It ends here."

It was the order for the great direct confrontation between the two groups to finally begin. Many of them had their own questions to solve. Glory Watson, for example, was fighting bravely against minions and eyeing Noah Puckerman, who raped her during the first world cup of school Quidditch. There was also Rachel and Finn fighting side by side, Albus and Scorpius repeating the old partnership, Marley, Mike and Teddy Lupine working together. Some of the students, especially the older ones, reacted in favour of the Order, turning to their classmates who were their repressors inside the school. The older ones also fought: Ron Weasley with his brothers, nephew daughters and nieces contributed to the duel.

International forces were also there, signaling to Samuel and the Allied allies that that story would come to an end.

Glory finally stared at Puckerman.

"Do you remember me?" She asked with fire in her eyes and chewed in her mouth.

"Of course. It was the worst blow job I ever got. "

"Sectumsempra," Glory conjured up the attack that was rarely used by a wizard. Puck fell and screamed as he felt the various cuts being opened in his own flesh. "Just die, monster," Glory said as she passed Puckerman and moved on into the battle, leaving the terror of her life behind him, dying of bleeding.

Rachel was a fabulous duelist. Finn, who for years received training from Neville Longbottom, was also very skilled. They found a maddened Amber Nox ahead. The death eater was about to interfere in the central duel, but Rachel was faster and pushed her before she had a chance to conjure an unforgivable curse on Santana's back.

"Watch out little girl. You don't know who you're getting into."

"If you get near her, I'll kill you!" Rachel raged.

But it was Nox who struck first, causing a stunning energy to hit Rachel's chest, making her fall to the ground with shortness of breath. Finn took the lead, facing the experienced witch. He popped the window of the castle and conjured up for several objects to fly toward the witch. Without being able to divert all, Nox was hit right in the head by the largest and most heavy encyclopedia on the inventions of the British muggles from the legend of King Arthur. The death eaters fainted, which allowed Finn to go to Rachel.

"Are you ok?"

"Just very sore." Finn helped Rachel to her feet.

"You should..."

Finn didn't finish the sentence. He was hit by green energy and fell on top of Rachel. He was dead. Rachel despaired of the situation. Her husband was dead. She didn't stop calling him by name, but Finn didn't answer. He had already gone. In the blurred field of vision, she saw none other than Netunus Black. The young man who once sympathized with Santana and the rebels, began to hate them after being held prisoner for weeks by Juan Lopez. It ruined him inside the Ministry of Magic. Killing Finn Hudson for him didn't represent anything. But beneath Hudson's body was a tearful, desperate, helpless Rachel Berry. That would be an important death he could boast about. After Rachel, he would drink wine with Kurt Hummel, who offered him food, water, among other things, while in captivity. They were both close.

Before Netunus could conjure up the unforgivable curse, someone struck him with pieces of broken glass. Netunus, wounded, had no choice but to take refuge. Athena Milles pulled Finn off Rachel and helped her to her feet.

"Finn..."

"Fight now and cry later," the Auror said harshly. "Your sister is holding Evans all this time and I don't know how. If she is not weakening, you can't either."

Even if the international side was stronger, important allies fell during the battle. Heidi Macavoy, Anya Caulfield and Greil Thomas succumbed. But the death that would be most felt, besides Finn Hudson, would be Mike Chang's. He died as a result of an iron bar that was stuck in his chest during the crossfire. He wasn't the target. The bar found him when Albus Potter turned away from the object thrown at him. There was nothing to do.

In the central fight, Samuel took Harry Potter out of the duel by hitting the other chosen one with a strong blow, leaving Santana staring at him alone.

"Expelliarmus!" Samuel said in a moment of disregard for Santana.

Santana reached for her wand to get back to her, but Samuel deflected the route from the object, which was eventually destroyed in the air. Santana had to protect her face, yet a splinter of her wand wounded her arm. It was a toothpick-sized wood that entered the flesh of her right arm. Santana took the wood out of her body and stared at Samuel. She was without a wand, tired, and he still had the Horcrux wand that obeyed him like a faithful dog.

In Samuel's first attack, Santana defended herself with her free hands. The impact was so strong that she was sure that some of the bones of her hand were displaced. Another attack from Samuel, and Santana needed a great deal of effort to stay safe without a wand.

"It's over, Lopez!" Samuel smiled with satisfaction. "I'm going to kill you so slowly, you'll come to the other side traumatized, begging for mercy. Your mother died in no time. She didn't even know what hit her. But your father... oh, I had fun with your father before I cut off his head to give you as a gift. Do you want to know what he felt?"

Another attack that made Santana defend herself with conjuring wandless protection. No matter how extraordinary her ability to conjure complex spells without needing the wand, the warning she received from the teachers was true: it was highly tiring, and the physical wastage unavoidable. One more attack, one more defense and Santana fell to the ground in the middle of the main courtyard. Samuel smiled and pointed his wand at his own neck.

"My friends, you are privileged to witness here the beginning of an era when we wizards may be sovereign in our own world. One era when a pure wizard will no longer be subjugated by an inferior mudblood wizard. We will no longer accept orders from such people. It is the era that we will no longer have Hermione Grangers commanding our society nor a gay half-blood like this girl as the chosen one. It's time everyone knew what we know. That these people are, in fact, symbols of repression. Symbols of our repression. That ends now."

When Samuel turned his body to turn against Santana again, he was struck in the face by a bird.

A hawk.

Samuel screamed in pain. One of the hawk's claws struck his left eye. After the surprise attack, some death eaters pointed their wands towards the fleeing bird, but the allies gave cover to the small animal, restarting some of the confrontations.

In the midst of the new crossfire, Rose Granger-Weasley (under the effect of the polyjuice potion) ran through Samuel's back, drawing a sword from within the death eater robe. She seized the unique opportunity she would have and struck the wand with the Gryffindor sword. The explosion caused by the Horcrux threw her body, Santana's and all the people close to Samuel because of the powerful impact. There was a momentary silence. As the smoke dissipated, Ezra Goyle knelt down to the faithful friend, whose side of his face was bleeding and visibly dazed. The same thing happened on the other side. Rachel ran to her sister's side.

"Expelliarmus!" Someone came from inside the castle. She conjured loudly, for attention. She was a beautiful woman who was almost completely naked. Quinn Fabray, wearing a Hogwarts robe she was loaned, was commanding a small group of animagus.

"Now!" She shouted.

Suddenly, other people rushed out into the arena. It was ordinary people, the population tired of being exploited and coerced, attacking the death eaters and allies with everything they had. But Samuel was also very well protected.

"Can you walk?" Rachel asked as she managed to help her sister through the crossfire.

"I feel like throwing up..." Santana said groggily. "My legs are soft and my hands..." Shee said and actually vomited almost on top of her sister. Santana was trembling.

Rachel glanced sideways, hugged her sister behind her armpits, and dragged her into the castle and as far as possible from the confusion. A death eater was on the way. Rachel knocked her sister to the ground and pointed her wand against the attacker. The first blow was missed and the following was defended. She was surprised when the death eater was attacked by a second person. It was Ron Weasley, who was running to get his brother-in-law, Harry Potter, off the scene before he was killed by an opportunist. Rachel nodded gratefully and turned back to her sister.

"That was close." Rachel commented as she found a more secluded spot and sat down next to her sister.

"I need to stop this..."

"You're going to be a hero in a bit. Now, rest for five minutes, okay? You can't stand up! I'll protect you."

While Santana was completely drained of energy for the amount of time she needed to sustain the barrier of protection horribilis, Samuel looked like a rabid dog. With his face dirty with his own blood and dust, he took the wand of an ally and began to attack everyone in front of him. He proved that even without the instrument itself, he was still a highly trained and powerful wizard.

"You won't get through!" To everyone's surprise, it was James Potter who stepped in front of the Dark One. Rachel took advantage of the cover and ran with Santana to a more sheltered place.

"I don't know if it's my bad eye, but for a moment I thought Harry Potter's cowardly son was willing to face me." James held himself in place, causing Samuel to make a false laugh. "What was that, Potter? You're the loser one. That you thought you would be a Quidditch star, like your cousin, and turned out to be nothing. A cowardly idiot who has chosen to live on another continent putting refugees on a train. Do you really think you can face me? You're nothing!"

James attacked first and was surprised that the coup was easily deflected by Samuel. The compromised view should compromise him with notions of depth, which he should fail to see from a certain angle. James should have a theoretical edge, but that wasn't what was happening. He was having trouble restraining Samuel's attacks: quick and precise. Worst of all, Samuel seemed to enjoy himself.

"Destruccio." Samuel conjured and managed to break James's nose, which brought his hand to his face because of the pain. "Destruccio," Samuel repeated, this time breaking his arm, which caused James's wand to fall. "Destruccio."

It was James's leg breaking, causing him to lose his balance and fall to the floor, banging his head against the parapet of the bridge.

"Get it over with," James said with the courage he had left.

"Destruccio." Samuel pointed his wand at the other leg. "Destruccio." The arm was still good. "Destruccio." He pointed to the rib cage. "Desdruccio." He pointed at the neck.

Samuel left James dead body on the ground. He looked around and was worried to realize that the death eaters were at a disadvantage. The death eaters were suffering to maintain their position. Albus and Scorpius did their best against the more experienced duelists. Albus hadn't even realized what happened to his older brother. But Rose was there. She screamed for the pain of seeing her dead cousin and tried to attack Samuel with the Gryffindor sword, but she was struck and flung away.

Marley was fighting the Hogwarts headmaster. Being able to cope and even gain some advantage showed how well she was prepared. Ron, in turn, was upset. He saw his nephew fall and wasn't holding on. It was the pain of the loss of the son who was revived. Rachel continued to see the duels between students and the explosions that occurred while protecting Santana. They were at the main room, where no one was. The point is she wouldn't be able to hold their position for long.

Samuel advanced toward the great hall. He knew Santana was in a vulnerable position. It was the best chance he would have to liquidate a person who was more powerful than he, especially when he no longer had the horcrux, the wand that was his conquest in a position of privilege in the Order of the Pure.

He killed a person he loved. As much as Brittany loved Santana first, and as much as he, Samuel, was obsessed with Quinn Fabray, he loved Brittany. That was the condition for the victim's choice: love. He attracted Brittany, made it easy for her to be hurt by the relationship between Santana and Lily, strangled her, killed her and plucked her heart. He dissected the muscle and at the right time performed the second stage of object construction. He cut an alder, the tree whose wood he chose to be great for unverified spells and for his loyalty to the owner. He killed a thestral. He went to Romania, killed a dragon with exquisite cruelty to make sure the animal would suffer using only a sword - a step that mentor Zabini never managed to complete and eventually gained the scars that made him become a recluse.

Samuel irrigated the dissected heart and wood in the blood of the mighty animal with his own and ate part of his own flesh in a macabre ritual. He formatted his own wand, then sent Henry Ollivander to sculpt to satisfy his own vanity. So the horcrux was made. The piece held a part of his own soul. Now that it had been destroyed, he felt he had nothing more to lose.

"You won't go one step further." Rose, already without the potion's effect, stepped in front of the mighty wizard, challenging him to a duel.

"Weasley. I'll love to shed your mudblood."

"No you won't." Scorpius stood side by side with his girlfriend to face the dark lord.

Samuel smiled and with an emphatic wave of wand, caused a shock wave that knocked the couple down, hurling their bodies back yards. There was an intensification in the movement of the bridge. The battle spread through the patios and internal spaces. One could see some spreading the duels up outside the castle.

Among the people who were fighting duels around the castle was Draco Malfoy. Draco had reached a peculiar refinement as a duelist. As a healer, Malfoy made some oaths about the code of ethics of the profession, but that was a war, after all. Probably the last great battle in a century. Instead of bombardments and stupefaction, he used hexes that left his opponent out of combat without seriously injuring him. It made some agents stand with their legs soft, unbalanced, unconscious. The duels didn't go unnoticed by the villagers, especially by Anna Martel. She followed the fearsome agents and saw that one of them was going to attack Draco from behind and decided to act.

"Stupefy," she said, saving Draco's life.

In the meantime, Harry Potter was awaken despite being very injured. Still, he was willing to wipe out Samuel Evans with the same pain the dark wizard had inflicted on his eldest son. It was as if many of the parallel duels were stopped just to see the clash. Samuel smiled and attacked, being blocked by Potter. They paused for a moment. Potter winked at Samuel to challenge the young man. Samuel began a sequence of attacks in which he varied the unverified commands of stupefaction, confringo, and expulsion. Harry, always on the defensive for now, managed to block everyone.

Samuel caused some wreckage in the castle results of other duels to fly against the elder wizard, but these were diverted. Samuel was losing his temper. Potter was making a fool of himself before an audience and that was unacceptable. Tired of playing fair, or as clean as he could. He began another round of attacks on Harry, more furiously, forcing the Auror chief to take several steps back. Harry was also trying to attack, but he didn't expect Samuel to be so skilful at that time of events. Much more than he ever dreamed of being younger.

Smiling at the advantage he knew he had made, Samuel decided to make the duel more interesting and turned one of Harry Potter's attacks directly to Albus. He saw the other son fall to the ground and completely disengaged from the duel, being hit in the chest by a strong confringo. He fell unconscious and blood quickly spilled through his white shirt beneath his thick coat.

Samuel approached the old man and looked at the others who had stopped fighting, too perplexed by the scene.

"It's about time your generation left this world. Avada Kedavra!"

The spell bounced off, narrowly missing a ravenclaw student. Samuel looked up to see the source of the protection that saved Harry Potter. Santana was on her feet.

"I thought you wouldn't come back to the party."

"I needed to breathe for 30 seconds." Santana replied without really putting humour in the sentence.

"I see we're on an equal footing now." Samuel said sideways, forcing Santana to do the same, and thereby opening a larger circle for themselves, like a human ring. "Ironic we come to this stage without our wands. Yours from filthy Griffin's and mine made with the dissected heart of Brittany Pierce."

Santana didn't know. She could suspect and speculate that Brittany's killer was Samuel Evans. Until then that was a mystery she chose not to invest. Or didn't even have time and opportunity. Anyway, that shocked her. As much as she loved Lily, body and soul, and as much as she loved Quinn Fabray, Brittany would always have a place reserved for being her first love and girlfriend. It shocked even more that he had the ability to transform Brittany, or her heart, as a constituent part of a Horcrux. How could he turn something luminous into a piece of darkness? Santana was mad at him.

"What is it, Lopez? You should be happy. The death of our first love was cleared. Different from what happened to your father. Or how I raped your lover for days in every possible way simply because I could."

"Shut up!" Santana cried out, her vision blurred with tears.

"What? I have to celebrate my victory."

"You didn't get any shit."

"No?" Samuel smiled. "If I kill you, I'm going to kill your child, I'm going to rape your wife and your sister, I'm going to eradicate Potters and Weasleys from this world just for pleasure. If I die by your hands, yet the victory is mine because I will have marked your soul permanently."

"I'll pay the price!" Santana squeezed Rachel's wand in her hands, despite the terrible pain she felt, and attacked with everything she had.

It was Samuel's turn to erect a barrier around him to protect himself from the impact. The attack was so strong that their feet slid onto the dusty floor. Santana knew that even physically exhausted, she was stronger and more skilled than Samuel. That she had special abilities. She didn't deny this fact to herself. But it was just such abilities that made her have to try harder not to succumb to her own pride and arrogance. Was Samuel right? Was that a lost fight regardless of the outcome? Santana attacked with violence and didn't allow the opponent to do anything other than defend himself.

As Santana struck, she came closer and closer to the other. Until she managed to disarm Samuel. Not with expelliarmus: it was with a kick in the hand of the supremacist when she approached physically in a moment of imbalance of the opponent, then gave him a kick that made Samuel fall on his back, completely surprised by the combination of magic and physical strength he hadn't imagined that a six-foot-six-inch girl was capable.

Samuel knelt down and faced Santana standing in front of him with Rachel's wand pointed at his face. She was panting and he was fearful for his own life for the first time in a long time.

It was just two words. Two small words and everything would be done. Two words. Avada Kedavra. Simple command and will. Nothing more, two words. Will. Two words and a green light would emerge from the end of that wand. Instant death. Painless. Clean death. Two words. Will and nothing else. Two words. A command. A will and everything would be solved. Two words.

Samuel killed Brittany, made her an orphan, raped Quinn. He was going to kill everyone she loved. It wasn't just a question of power. It was personal. It had to be done. It was necessary to feel like it.

There were no more duels around. There was silence. Expectancy. Wait. It was as if time was moving so slowly that it was possible to observe in detail the flapping of a pixie's wings. Santana pointed her wand, Samuel was waiting, waiting.

"Stupefy," Santana conjured, leaving Samuel unconscious.

She looked around. That part of the castle wasn't badly damaged by the duels, there were people on the ground and she didn't know if they were alive or dead. They were as much agents and death eaters as students and allies of the resistance. Nobody moved.

"Lock that guy up." Santana said particularly to Athena and the ex-Aurors who had allied with the resistance. "May he and his partners be judged appropriately."

"Don't count on it." Ezra Goyle screamed and stepped through the little confusion that settled between some death eaters who rushed out to try to escape. He pointed his wand at Santana.

"Avada Kedavra!" Ezra Goyle was struck in came by the unforgivable curse before he could conjure it in Santana. The chosen one turned toward the wizard and saw Quinn Fabray pointing her wand.

"Quinn..." Santana said softly.

"Says a very good reason why I shouldn't do your job with this one too!"

"Wasn't piercing his eye enough?"

"No, I did it to save you. Now I'm going to do something for me."

"Then let me save you now." Santana approached her best friend. "This guy doesn't deserve our mercy." She reached Quinn without touching her. "This death, this righteousness with his own hands is his mercy and our ruin. Our work is done."

"If you put him in Azkaban, he will escape and will do it all over again. Are you going to risk the life of your daughter, of all, because you can't say the words? It's your responsibility, Lopez. Yours!"

"I know. And I'm taking responsibility now. I can't do that, Quinn. Evans was right. If I kill him that way, intentionally, my soul breaks down and he wins. If you kill him, the same thing happens. He has abused your body and will still stay with your soul. Don't let that happen. Do not let him win."

Santana took her best friend's hand and held it carefully and cautiously. Quinn seemed to relax her body a little. She lifted her hand to Santana's face and kissed her on the lips. It was a brief kiss, but full of meaning.

"You were the only person I could love." Quinn whispered to Santana.

"I know. That's why I can't let you do this."

In a subtle movement with Santana's wand, it was Quinn who was unconscious. Santana trimmed Quinn's fall and placed her gently on the floor. Meanwhile Samuel awakened. He took advantage of the moment when Santana was turned away, taking care of Quinn, to reach the wand. Samuel wasn't subtle. He grabbed his wand, pointed it at Santana, even without the precision, and spoke the two unforgivable words.

"Santana!" Rachel shouted in the distance.

It was a moment of tension, when the green ray that came out of the end of the wand failed to reach the target, and returned, striking the offender himself.

Santana calmly turned to Samuel, lying on the floor, lifeless. She stood up, walked five paces to the opponent, and watched him. He was paler than before, his eyes wide, his expression frightened. Was this the reflection of death in someone who sold his own soul in search of power? Santana looked once more at Samuel dead body and thought that when her time came, she would be serene, happy to have fulfilled the mission on Earth.

"How?" Rachel asked when she finally reached her sister. "I saw him shoot."

As it was said, Samuel wasn't at all subtle, which allowed for Santana's anticipation. She dropped Rachel's wand and non-verbally conjured protego horriblis. Without the wand, the spell can't be directed, causing the energy to surround her body. What no one could have predicted, not even Santana, was the mirror effect, which made the unforgivable curse fatal to ricocheting back to Samuel himself. It wasn't something new, though. The world had known that protegos could take on a mirror effect when, over 40 years ago, Lilian Potter used her own body as a shield to protect her son. This was made possible by a fundamental ingredient: love.

Unlike the opponent, Santana was filled with love.

...

Ron Weasley and Santana Lopez disappeared at Hermione Granger's cousin's stud farm three hours after the events that had taken place at Hogsmeade. Both were in a pitiful state: skin and clothes soiled with blood, soot and dirt. They both stank. They both looked like they were going to collapse at any moment. Both had open wounds in some part of the body. They were both sad, even if victorious.

"Where's Harry?" Ginny ran into her brother's arms. She was thrilled to know the nightmare was over. But Ron brought her sister the worst news he could for a mother. James was dead and Harry was badly injured. Her son was dead. Her James.

Ginny collapsed.

Minutes later, Albus, Rose and Rachel disappeared at the stud farm. The feeling was conflicting. There was the relief of victory, the joy of a new birth, but the sadness of mourning. James Potter, Mike Chang, and Finn Hudson were just a few of the names that would be on the war casualties memorial.

Santana searched the room where Lily and her daughter were. She found them with some ease, for that house wasn't so large or sophisticated. She opened and closed the door so her girlfriend wouldn't witness the commotion that was happening in front of the house.

"I knew you'd do it." Lily smiled.

"I came as soon as I could."

Santana approached the bed, but was afraid to touch Lily or the child, given her physical state that was. Her body ached completely, especially her hands and arms. Santana hardly knew how she was still standing.

"She's beautiful." Santana smiled at the baby. "You were great, Lily. Thank you."

"Thanks for leaving this alive and... almost in one piece."

Santana laughed and grunted at the pain that laughter could cause at that moment.

"You chose her name?"

"I thought of a name, but I wanted to hear you first. What about Clarie Shelby Potter-Lopez?"

"How about Clarie Marie Potter-Lopez?"

"You're really reluctant to pay homage to your mother."

"On the contrary, Lil. We both have Marie as our middle name, and it would be an honour if our daughter continued the tradition."

"Clarie Marie Potter-Lopez sounds perfect." Lily smiled.

Santana knelt beside the bed.

"A perfect name for such a perfect little girl. I can't believe we did it, Lil. The muggles are right: this is surreal."

"Sometimes I don't even believe you had the nerve to drink that potion."

"I would do it again, Lil. For you, I would do it again."

"Come here."

Lily kissed Santana's chastened lips.

"How was there?"

Santana sighed.

"San, what is it?"

"Lil, I need to tell you something."

...

(THREE YEARS LATER)

Santana took the Daily Prophet who had entered through the fireplace. The headline was about the award of the British magic minister Hermione Granger to the International Confederation of Wizards for the fight against extremist advances. She received the award from the hands of Adila Amandi, who became Angola's ambassador. The story drew attention to how strong the minister survived the exile, the death of a son and her husband (Ron Weasley died six months later the last battle due to a heart attack caused by a cancer discovered too late to be treated). There was other news that sparked some interest from Santana, such as the construction of the war memorial coordinated by Hannah Longbottom. The museum had an educational purpose and would bring not just objects and photographs, but a whole structure for events. Santana had signed an authorization to have the image placed in the museum. It was an honour to have her picture as the last of a line of heroes protagonists, like Albus Dumbledore, Severus Snape, Sirius Black and Harry Potter. The point is that Santana didn't feel she really deserved it. There was a mix of opinions about what happened. Some admired her that she had tried to be merciful, others criticized her for not having the courage to kill directly. Technically, Harry Potter didn't kill Voldemort either.

Harry Potter barely survived the double blow he took from Samuel. He was hospitalized for weeks and underwent surgery to stop internal bleeding. His hospitalization was nowhere near mourning the loss of James Potter. The war profoundly affected the ex-chosen one. He became a bitter subject, turned away from the surviving wife and children due to depression. He blamed himself constantly for not being able to save his son, because it was the least he could do. Harry didn't like family gatherings because he could not stand being in Santana's presence. He didn't blame her directly, but he remembered the entire time James died trying to save the current chosen one. Ginny suffered from this, but she had no choice but to go back to her own life. She returned to the career of a sports journalist and had become an cute grandmother. Ginny was proud to say that she was the grandmother of two grandchildren and another on the way. She was referring to little Clarie, little James Jr., son of James, and Marley Rose's pregnancy was announced a few weeks ago. Marley and Albus Potter tightened their bonds of friendship after the war and ended up becoming romantically involved.

"San, help me out here with Clarie."

Santana set the paper on the table and went into the kitchen. Clarie Marie Potter-Lopez had done some damage with breakfast. The little girl had spread papaya, milk and cereal on the floor.

"When are you going to learn how to eat like normal people?" Santana lightly pinched her daughter's cheek before picking her up.

"Clean her up while I sort this out," Lily ordered without much thought. It was more or less the routine of the house.

"Yes ma'am."

"We need to get dressed fast or we'll be late."

"I know."

"She'll never forgive us if we're late."

"I know," Santana said louder as she wiped a wet towel over her daughter's face. "We need to change that outfit, Clarie. Do you have any idea what you want to wear? "

The little girl went to the wardrobe and pointed to the Frozen costume. Santana had to admit that she was responsible for that, as she succumbed to the properties a cartoon had to make a child quiet for a few minutes. She saw Frozen so many times with Clarie, who lost count.

"Elsa again?" Lily frowned when she saw her wife and daughter again after working the kitchen floor.

"I know... it's my fault."

"You shouldn't do her will every time, San."

"I know Lil, but look? Clarie doesn't look cute dressed as a queen?"

"It's better to change, San. Some people may feel offended."

"But Elsa is a queen with magic powers!"

"Created by Muggles."

"Let it go!"

Santana gave in to Lily's arguments, not least because the wife was right. There was every effort to balance the yearning for the European population of wizards, especially the British, after the war. Whether she wanted to or not, she had to take into account many of the conservative longings to strike a balance. The war was still fresh in everyone's memory. If Santana turns up with her daughter dressed as a Disney princess at an event with the press there, it would surely spark unnecessary gossip. They got ready for the engagement. Lily chose a knee-high grená dress and opted for a pointed hat. It was the costume of an executive witch. From the ease she had with potions, and from the experience of life, Lily was specializing and healing potions. She worked at St. Mungo's hospital, and was already talking about studying for six months in Russia to specialize her skills.

"I hate it." Santana complained as she put the Puddlemere United's robe around her black dress. "It's not even an official event. I don't know why I have to wear it every time."

"Because you're the biggest star on the team and signed a contract." Lily kissed her wife's face. "Don't complain. You always wanted a career playing Quidditch."

"It even sounds like your mother talking."

"If I earned your salary, I'd even wear the Puddlemere panties at any time."

"You can wear Puddlemere panties tonight, if you want."

"Santana... Clarie in the area."

"She won't call. She doesn't understand these things. "

"For a while."

Lily and Santana exchanged a passionate kiss on the lips, picked up the little girl, and left the house. They lived in a house in Basingstoke, England, in a suburban neighborhood with lawn and a car in the garage. Santana and Lily usually fly on their brooms, or catch the Knight Bus or even simply apparated to go to work. But when little Clarie went out with them, they preferred to use the good old muggle transport, especially the train and the subway. The car was very little used. It was usually Lily who drove it to shop at the town's grocery store, or leave the little girl in the nursery.

The journey to London by train took almost an hour. All for the safety of the little girl. They walked the streets of London to Diagon Alley. Santana smiled and waved to the team's fans and to the press on the way to the theater. They entered the small place with the capacity for up to 300 people and went to the dressing rooms. Santana saw her sister nervously, pacing back and forth.

"Rach!" She took her sister's hand.

"San, it's good that you have arrived. I'm so nervous."

Rachel wanted everything to be perfect. She had invested almost all the money she inherited from her mother and grandmother to buy a small building in Diagon Alley. Rachel reformed it and transformed it into a theater school that would finally be inaugurated that day. She planned a few numbers with Marley Rose and Kurt Hummel for the premiere and at that moment needed to control her nerves. Rachel picked up her goddaughter and hugged her.

"My lucky charm!" Rachel said, hugging and kissing the little girl's face.

"Looks like everything's in place, Rach," Lily commented. "And the bar you set up at the front desk is a charm."

"It was inspired by the off-Broadways theaters my mother used to frequent." Rachel smiled faintly. Santana nodded to her sister. That business meant so much to her.

Another half hour and the front of the theater, just like the bar and reception, was already full. The Daily Prophet's press was circulating there, in addition to the special guests for the inauguration. In addition to the Potter-Lopez family, Harry and Ginny Potter, Marley Rose and Albus Potter, Scorpius and Rose Malfoy, the Longbottoms, the Patil, the Scamanders, and a host of guests from Hogwarts, the remnants of the Order of Hippogriff and politics. Quinn Fabray came in discreetly. She greeted gracefully the acquaintances who crossed her path.

"Your other wife doesn't know what punctuality is." Lily mocked the fact that Quinn arrived just as the theater lights blinked.

Santana frowned and sighed. Lily was definitely sarcastic, but Santana couldn't say she was being ironic. It wasn't easy or simple when Santana, Lily, and Quinn reached a silent agreement about the love triangle. Santana married Lily and was happy with her, but Quinn was definitely in their lives. It was something Lily always knew would happen eventually.

"Lily." Quinn smiled falsely.

"Quinn," Lily returned in the same tone.

"Hi Clarie!" Quinn bent over to talk to the little girl, and she was genuine. Yes, even with very little contact, she liked Clarie. Quinn thought the girl was smart and intelligent, what Clarie really was.

"Explosive ice cream," the little girl said, teasing Quinn's smiles and exchanging tense glances between Lily and Santana. The chosen one would have to explain a few things later, like the fact that she and Clarie and Quinn had had explosive ice cream together the week before, over and above the fact that Lily was radically against sugaring her daughter.

"Explosive ice cream is only served on special occasions, like birthdays," Quinn explained gently.

"Well..." Santana thought it best to cut the discomfort. "You know how Rachel is. She's going to lock the door in our faces if we don't come in soon."

Quinn spent a year recovering from depression and post-war trauma. Santana played an important role in her recovery. But she wasn't the only one. Rachel and Athena were also central in Quinn's emotional and physical recovery. There was a period in that year when Quinn disappeared for three months, during which time she spent exclusively as a hawk. When Quinn was able to overcome the depression and control the anxiety attacks, Athena recruited her to the auror department, where she went on to do CSI and bureaucratic work most of the time. Quinn rarely had to get involved with direct action. The work she did to perfection gave her security and a sense of normalcy.

The relationship between Santana and Quinn was more emotional and loving than sexual. Sex did happen sometimes, because of the moment and the love they felt for each other. But it was never planned, by day and time, or forced. Lily knew that. She could count on her fingers the times when Santana and Quinn actually slept together over those three years. It wasn't easy Lily knew everything, but it wasn't the end of the world either. For Lily, it was better to have everything clear than to see things happen behind her back. Besides, Lily and Santana continued to have a good relationship. The "official" wife didn't let the sheets cool, and Santana loved Lily's adventurous and light side.

The three-way relationship had some rules, of course. Quinn didn't go to Santana and Lily's house. The encounter between the three of them only happened on occasions like that, which wasn't very easy either. Quinn didn't interfere with Santana's marriage, and Lily didn't mess with Quinn's life. Santana was an engaging wife and mother, and that was an argument in favour that the chosen one had whenever she went to London solely to be with Quinn. They're good that way.

When the lights flashed for the last time, the last guests entered the small theater, completely taken. Quinn sat down next to Marley, while Santana, Lily, and Clarie took seats ahead. Rachel went ahead of the audience, cast a spell to amplify her voice and spoke.

"My friends, dear guests, thank you for coming. Exactly three years ago, the European wizarding war ended. I can't say that I was fully involved in the struggle for freedom, but I was there in the final battle. I've seen blood spilled, dear friends perish in a soil I consider sacred. But what I saw after that was the rebirth of a society. It's been three years since the war is over, my friends. But it's been three years since wizards of all ideologies started sitting at the same table and talking about their differences. For three years, I have seen a collective effort to find a fair and balanced way to lead our society. I can say that I witnessed closely this part of the events, and what I see and our society becoming a strong and united community, with the traditional families, the half-bloods, the muggles born like me. What I have witnessed in the last three years is a rebirth. It's a rebirth that needs to be celebrated.

The last wizarding theater was closed more than 50 years ago because the school of music and dramatic arts came down with the death of the founder Elfivra Hornby. In these 50 years of absence, witches and wizards with skills for the dramatic arts were forced to leave the community itself to venture among the muggles. Many have had successful careers, but at the cost of practically living as exiles. No more. That is why we are here inaugurating this theater that is also a school that will give the opportunity of wizards and witches who want to follow what they love can do what they love without having to live as an exile. I see this theater as another step we have taken to reintegrate our society. To make it stronger. That's why I invite everyone to participate in this dream and this project with me. Ladies and Gentlemen, welcome to the New Directions Theater."

Rachel had to tear a tear away from her face. She was thrilled by the speech, but also by the support of so many dear friends. Rachel was also touched by the memory of an anonymous heroine, a victim of the war, who stared at her with dignity: her mother, Shelby Corcoran.

The guests saw for half an hour a brief and exciting musical performance by Rachel Berry, Marley Rose and Kurt Hummel with the special participation of Aurora Bloom on the piano. Kurt was a traitor during the war, but most of all, he was a survivor who lived to repair many of the evils he caused.

"This place looked beautiful," said one of the journalists covering the event after the presentation. Then he noticed the names being given to the classroom and theater places. Shelby Corcoran, as the stage name, and also Finn Hudson, Mercedes Jones, Blaine Anderson, Hugo Weasley, Brittany Pierce. "Why did you decide to pay homage to these people?"

"Because all these people have shared dreams with me and will never leave my heart."

Clarie became restless, causing Santana to leave the theater with her daughter. She herself preferred to take some fresh air and give her wife space to talk to friends and relatives while enjoying the cocktail. Mother and daughter walked down Diagonal Alley and looked at the window of used clothes. There was an old Quidditch uniform from Gryffindor offered for a bargain. Santana smiled. Gryffindor's house had been reopened, and things were getting back on track too at school. Nearby, the wall that led to an alley in the corner shop had posters of wanted by justice. Dolohov was the main one. Santana didn't care about them. The Aurors were sweeping the wizard temples and had discovered information about the Order of the Pure. It was a matter of time before these fugitives were caught and the Order that was behind the extremist movement fell once and for all.

The world wasn't perfect, life still had dozens of problems to solve. Well, what fun would it have been if everything were wonderful? Santana looked at Clarie and smiled. She kissed her daughter on the cheek.

"Look, Mommy. Hippogriff."

Santana looked up, watching the magical beast fly above the rooftops of the diagonal alley. It was a strange, temperamental, hybrid, but formidable being. Santana returned to the theater. She saw her family interacting. She saw Rachel being celebrated. She saw Lily talking with Marley and Albus with a smile on her face. She saw Quinn talking to the Scamanders. She watched Ginny and Hermione continue their lives despite the loss of their children. Mainly, she saw the group who were destined to maintain the stability of the wizarding world for the next hundred years. It was a tremendous responsibility. But it was how things should be.

FIM

…

 _Author note:_

 _Well guys. Hope you enjoyed my last Glee fanfiction. I will hardly ever write another Glee fanfic. Never say never, but it is now the time to turn to other interests, themes, stories with other characters. Thank you to all who accompanied you. One kiss in the heart and until the next._


End file.
